Houthis Sink Liberian Cargo Ship in Red Sea Attack, Killing Crew

Deadly Houthi Attack on Red Sea Shipping

• 🚢 The Liberian-flagged cargo vessel Eternity C was sunk in a Houthi attack, marking the first deadly assault on the Red Sea in over a year.
• 🚀 The attack involved sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speedboats by Yemen-based Houthi rebels.
• 💔 The ship, operated by Greece, carried 25 crew members; six were rescued, and three were confirmed killed.

Escalation and Previous Incidents

• 🚨 This is the second ship sunk by the Houthis in the past week, following the attack on the bulk carrier Magic Seas.
• ⚠️ The UN has expressed grave concern over the escalation, noting civilian loss of life, casualties, and potential environmental damage.
• 📈 Between November 2023 and December 2024, the Iranian-backed Houthis have targeted over 100 ships in the Red Sea.

Houthi Motivations and Resumption of Attacks

• 🇵🇸 The Houthis claim their campaign is in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict.
• 💥 They had previously paused attacks after US airstrikes but vowed to resume them following recent US strikes on Iran.
• 🇺🇸 The US embassy in Yemen denounced the attack and alleged that the rebel group had kidnapped surviving crew members.