Major Houthi Attacks on Commercial Ships in the Red Sea

Yemen Monitor / Agencies:

The Houthis in Yemen sank two cargo ships in the Red Sea this week, marking the first such attacks in seven months as the group resumed its campaign to disrupt global shipping.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted over 100 commercial vessels in the Red Sea. They’ve sunk four ships, seized one, set three on fire, and killed at least eight crew members.

Here are key details on some of the most significant attacks:

Eternity C

• Date: July 9, 2025
• Flag: Liberia (Greek-owned)
• Details: The ship sank after two days of drone and missile attacks. Four sailors were killed, ten were rescued, and eleven remain missing. The U.S. mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping several of the missing crew members.

Magic Seas

• Date: July 6, 2025
• Flag: Liberia (Greek-operated)
• Details: The vessel sank following damage from drones, missiles, gunfire, and four remote-controlled explosive boats. The crew was evacuated to Djibouti. The Houthis later released footage of the attack and armed boarding.

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St. Nikolas (Sonion)

• Date: August 21, 2024
• Flag: Greece
• Details: The oil tanker, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude, was hit by drones and missiles and caught fire. Fears of an environmental disaster were raised. It took months to secure the vessel and remove its cargo.

Tutor

• Date: June 2024
• Flag: Greece
• Details: The coal carrier sank near Yemen’s Hodeidah port after being hit by missiles and a bomb-laden boat. One crew member went missing and is believed to have been in the engine room. The rest were rescued by Western forces.

True Confidence

• Date: March 2024
• Flag: Barbados (Greek-owned)
• Details: A missile attack killed three crew members and set the ship ablaze about 50 nautical miles off Aden. These were the first reported deaths in the Houthi maritime campaign.

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Rubymar

• Date: February–March 2024
• Flag: UK
• Details: Hit by multiple missiles in February, the vessel sank on March 2, becoming the first ship sunk by the Houthis.

Zografia

• Date: January 2024
• Flag: Greece
• Details: Attacked off the coast of Al-Salif while sailing empty from Vietnam to Israel. The strike caused a large hole below the waterline.

Galaxy Leader

• Date: November 2023 – January 2025
• Flag: Bahamas
• Details: Houthi commandos seized the car carrier and its 25-member crew in international waters. The crew was held for over a year and released in January 2025.

These attacks underscore the growing threat to international shipping posed by the Houthis in one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors.