Yemen Reports Four Killed in Houthi Strike on Cargo Ship Tihamah
Four crew members were killed in a suspected Houthi attack using ballistic missiles on the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, the first deadly strike on shipping by the group since the start of the Iran war. Yemen strikes have added to the risks for vessels in the area as authorities assess the damage. [1][3]
Deadly Attack on Cargo Ship in Bab al-Mandab
Yemen's transport ministry said the ship was hit with three ballistic missiles south of the port of Mocha, causing a fire on board and resulting in the deaths of four crew members identified as three Pakistanis and one Indonesian. [1] The vessel lost control after the attack, according to the ministry. [2] The Egyptian-owned Tihamah was sailing under the flag of Tanzania and had departed the Yemeni government-held port of al-Mokha on Saturday. [3][5] Social media images examined by BBC Verify appear to show a damaged cargo ship in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. [1] The pictures of the vessel, which were shared by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency, have been verified as new and show no signs of AI-generation. [1] Yemen's ministry of transport referred to Tihamah as a "Yemeni commercial ship" while it was carrying food. [1]
Response by Rescue Teams and Further Casualties
Damaged cargo ship Tihamah burns in the Bab al-Mandab Strait after Houthi missile strike. — Source: thenewarab
Yemeni navy and coastguard personnel were deployed to assist the vessel and came under fire, resulting in three others being injured. [1] Three coastguard personnel were injured after being targeted by a drone while trying to rescue the crew, Yemeni military sources said. [3] The ministry said Houthi rebels fired three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial vessel before launching an additional missile at rescue teams attempting to reach it, wounding a Yemeni rescuer. [2] The incident occurred while the ship was at anchor northeast of Perim Island, Yemen. [3][5]
Houthi Actions and Lack of Claim
The Houthis began attacks on shipping last month after announcing a naval blockade of Saudi ports. [1] They have not admitted carrying out the attack on the Tihamah. [1][3] The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20 in response to what they described as a Saudi siege. [3][5] Riyadh denies that Yemen is under siege. [3] The attack on a commercial vessel marked an escalation in approach from the Houthis, according to the Yemeni government statement. [1]
Yemen Civil War Truce Collapse
The attack comes after a years-long truce in Yemen's civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government collapsed last month. [1][2] The Houthis control much of north-western Yemen and frequently clash with Yemen's internationally recognised government. [1] Yemen's government operates out of Aden in the south due to the capital Sanaa being held by the Houthis. [1] The conflict in the region has been ongoing since the end of February, punctuated by a faltering ceasefire which was meant to lead to a deal to end the war. [1]
Regional Impact on Shipping Routes
Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea has fallen by more than 50 per cent since an earlier wave of Houthi attacks on shipping in 2023-25. [3][5] Traffic has fallen further since the Houthis announced their blockade last month, with an average of 32 ships per day passing through the strait last week according to Kpler data, down from an average of 50 before the blockade. [3][5] The ship was not Saudi-owned or operated. [3][5]
Broader Iran Conflict and Parallel Incidents
The conflict in the region has whipped up regional tensions, with the Houthis also attacking Saudi tankers in the Red Sea and oil facilities in parallel with Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. [1] Iran effectively closed the strait by threatening shipping after Israel and the US attacked the country on 28 February. [2] Separately, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile in an attack off Pakistan while sailing into the Gulf of Oman. [3][5] The ship was believed to have been hit some 71 nautical miles off Pakistan's coast. [3][5] Traffic is even more disrupted in the Strait of Hormuz with just six passing through on Monday, down from a 10-day average of about 11 and prewar levels of some 130 to 140. [3][5]
What to watch next: Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi has arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials as the country's defence minister told Bloomberg News that the United States and Iran are close to some sort of an arrangement.
