Houthi rebels attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, killing four crew members, while a container ship was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, reportedly by a U.S. military helicopter.
Foreign news agencies reported attacks on cargo ships in two key waterways. The Houthi group attacked a ship in the Red Sea, resulting in four crew deaths. At the same time, a container ship off the coast of Pakistan in the Gulf of Oman was struck by missiles, suspected to have been launched by the United States.
In the Red Sea attack, the small Egyptian cargo ship named “Tihamah” was hit near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing four crew members—three Pakistanis and one Indonesian—and causing the ship to lose control.
Additionally, three Yemeni Coast Guard officers were injured by a drone attack while attempting to assist the ship's crew.
If confirmed, this would be the first instance of cargo ship crew deaths caused by Houthi rebel attacks in Yemen since the Iran war began on 28 Feb. However, the Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for the incident.
Regarding the attack in the Gulf of Oman, the Panamanian container ship “Vela Nova” was struck by missiles about 71 nautical miles off Pakistan's coast.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a U.S. military helicopter fired Hellfire missiles at the ship’s rudder after the vessel tried to evade the U.S. naval blockade.
If verified, this would be the 12th ship targeted by U.S. forces since the blockade was declared in April.
The Middle East conflict has caused shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea to drop by more than 50% compared to previous levels, declining further to an average of just 32 ships per day after the Houthis declared a blockade.
Shipping conditions in the Strait of Hormuz are even more critical; on Monday, only six ships passed through, a sharp decrease from pre-war levels of 130–140 vessels per day.
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Source:cna