Yemeni officials reported that six individuals were killed on Tuesday in an assault by Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The casualties included four crew members and two members of the National Resistance Forces allied with the Yemeni government. The Yemeni Transportation Ministry confirmed that the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial ship.
This incident marks the first known fatalities resulting from Houthi attacks on maritime vessels near Yemen during the recent escalation of conflict in the region. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed due to actions by Iran, attention has shifted to the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical alternative route for Saudi Arabia’s oil shipments.
Recent Houthi strikes targeted the government-controlled city of Mokha on the Red Sea and other areas in Yemen. The Yemeni military disclosed that the rebels launched attacks on Mokha and the central province of Marib using missiles and drones, although specific details were not provided. Previous assaults by the Houthis on Marib and Hadramout resulted in significant casualties among government forces and civilians.
Mokha, a strategic port under Yemen’s internationally recognized government, has been upgraded to facilitate shipping operations as an alternative to the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida. The recent spate of attacks by the Houthis on government forces in Yemen and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, a key supporter of the Yemeni government, could potentially reignite the country’s civil war and escalate tensions in the Middle East.
Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdul-Salam accused Saudi Arabia of exploiting the ceasefire to impose a blockade on Yemen, which has been ongoing since 2015. While expressing willingness to engage in negotiations, Abdul-Salam emphasized the necessity of lifting the blockade as a precondition for any settlement. In a separate development, a cargo vessel near al-Mokha, Yemen, was reportedly struck by an unidentified projectile, resulting in casualties, as confirmed by the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations.
The increasing attacks on ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have added to the uncertainty faced by shipping companies, particularly in light of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Iran’s demands for the U.S. to end its blockade of Iranian ports, lift sanctions on the country, and meet other conditions before considering reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The closure of the strait, following military actions by Israel and the U.S., has disrupted global oil trade routes and heightened concerns over energy prices. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Iran’s economic situation, attributing it to the U.S. Navy’s blockade preventing Iranian oil sales on the international market. Trump emphasized that despite potential disruptions caused by Iran, economic constraints were impacting the country’s capabilities.
