Three killed in suspected Houthi attack on Red Sea ship; container vessel hit off Pakistan

Three crew members have died in what is believed to be a Houthi attack on a small cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The Egyptian-owned ship, the Tihamah, was struck by an unknown projectile on Tuesday. If confirmed, these fatalities would be the first attributed to Houthi attacks on shipping since February 28.

The victims were identified as two Pakistanis and one Indonesian national. The ship was en route from Salalah, Oman, to Djibouti when the attack occurred. Following the incident, the crew lost control of the vessel, and Yemeni coastguard forces approached. The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for this specific attack. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported the incident, noting the ship was at anchor northeast of Perim Island, Yemen.

In a separate incident, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was hit by a missile off the coast of Pakistan while sailing toward the Gulf of Oman. Sources suggest this attack may have been carried out by U.S. forces. The Wall Street Journal reported that a U.S. helicopter fired a Hellfire missile at the ship's rudder after it attempted to evade a U.S. blockade targeting Iran-linked shipping.

U.S. Central Command has not yet commented. If confirmed, this would be the 12th vessel attacked by U.S. forces since its blockade was announced in April. Shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea has seen a dramatic reduction, falling by more than 50% since earlier Houthi attacks and further decreasing since the latest blockade was announced last month. Data indicates an average of 32 ships per day passing through the strait last week, down from 50 previously.