A Houthi spokesperson justified the attacks on the basis that the two vessels were connected to Israel—a claim that media outlets swiftly debunked.
In one of its deadliest Red Sea attacks yet, the Iranian-back Houthi rebels sank two cargo ships last week after launching grenades, missiles and other projectiles targeting the MV Magic Seas and Eternity C vessels. Three of the 25 individuals onboard during the attack were killed, and sources believe that the Houthis—now designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States—have kidnapped several others. The mission disclosed that of the ten people rescued from the waters following the attack, eight were Filipino and two others were of Greek and Indian nationality.
The Houthis have said that their attacks will continue to target ships that they claim have Israeli links, citing the ongoing Israel-Hamas war as its catalyst.
How the Houthi Attack Unfolded
The latest Houthi attack in the Red Sea began on July 6, as several small boats began encircling the MV Magic Seas and Eternity C vessels. According to local media reports, the Houthis began exchanging fire from the small boats with the security teams onboard the two international ships. Eventually, one of the Houthi attackers fired a rocket-propelled grenade toward the bridge of the Magic Sea and more small boats joined in on the assault. The crew ultimately had to abandon ship when the engine room began filling with water. The next day, the Houthi attack of the Eternity C was carried out roughly five miles from the Magic Seas sinking.
“We call for their immediate and unconditional safe release,” the US Embassy in Yemen said in a statement following the attacks. “The Houthis continue to show the world why the United States was right to label them a terrorist organization.”
The Iranian-backed group is perhaps best known for its frequent barrages targeting international vessels in the Red Sea. Funded by Tehran, the Houthis possess hefty stockpiles of missiles, drones and rockets.
A Houthi spokesperson justified the attacks on the basis that the two vessels were connected to Israel. According to The Wall Street Journal, however, the two ships hardly embody this label. The paper reported that the ships were Greek-owned and Liberian-flagged, and neither ship had visited Israel since December 2023—more than 18 months before the attack.
Earlier this year, the United States launched a wide-scale campaign encompassing air and naval strikes targeting Houthi assets in Yemen. Codenamed Operation Rough Rider, the missions aimed to dismantle the terror group’s infrastructure network on the ground. More than 1,000 Houthi targets ranging from weapons depots and intelligence centers were struck during the three-month long operation. President Donald Trump struck a ceasefire with the Houthis in May and since the terror group technically did not attack American vessels out at sea, the cessation in violence will remain.
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Author: Maya Carlin
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