Seven crew members of a cargo ship that sank in the Red Sea after a suspected attack by Houthi forces have been rescued but at least four were killed and 14 others are still missing.
The seven seafarers from the cargo ship Eternity C spent more than 24 hours in the water before being rescued, according to security firms involved in the operation. Rescuers are still searching for missing crew members.
Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speedboats by Yemen-based Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Two security sources said on Wednesday that the vessel was attacked again on Tuesday night, forcing the crew to jump into the water.
There were fears that some of the crew who jumped into the water may have been kidnapped by Houthis. Skiffs were in the area as the rescue efforts were under way.
While the Houthis did not claim responsibility for the attack, the group did claim responsibility on Sunday for a similar attack targeting another vessel, the Magic Seas. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank.
The incidents appear to signal a resumption of attacks by the Iran-backed group on vessels in the Red Sea, which started in November 2023 in what they said was a show of solidarity with Palestine. They paused attacks in December 2024.
Both of the ships that were attacked flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms. An official at the Greek-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous said: “We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light. We aim at a peaceful operation.”
Four Eternity C crew members – one Russian and three Filipinos – were killed in the attack, a representative of UK Maritime Trade Operations said.
The crew was made up of 21 Filipinos and one Russian, and the ship’s four armed guards included a Greek national.
The UK-based security firm Ambrey told AFP that the Eternity C was badly damaged and sank off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, which is under the control of the Houthis.
The halt in attacks in December coincided with the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza, when the Iran-backed group pledged to stop attacks on all but Israeli-owned vessels. The group later threatened to target Israeli vessels after Israel withdrew from the Gaza ceasefire in mid-March, which prompted a US bombing campaign in Yemen.
The Houthis and the US agreed to a ceasefire in May after months of US bombings, in exchange for the Houthis agreeing to keep shipping lanes open. In late June, the Houthis indicated they could resume attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea if the US struck Iran, the group’s chief patron.
Donald Trump struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on 22 June, which the Houthis condemned, and they vowed to continue their resistance.
The Houthis say they are targeting Israel-affiliated ships to show solidarity with Palestinians and to put pressure on the Israeli military to end its assault on Gaza.
After Sunday’s attack, the Houthis said ships owned by companies linked to Israel were a legitimate target and they pledged to continue targeting Israeli-affiliated ships “until the aggression against Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted”.
While neither the Magic Seas nor Eternity C were Israeli-owned, they had docked in the country in the past, which appeared to be the justification for the targeting of the ships.
The US state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said after the attack on Tuesday: “These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security.”
The Eternity C’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to requests for confirmation of casualties or injuries.
Greek government officials have been in diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, over the incident, according to sources.
The deaths are the first involving attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024.