Iran-Backed Houthis Kill Six in Bab El-Mandeb Attack on Egyptian Cargo Ship

Iran-backed Houthis attacked a merchant vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday, killing at least six people and injuring around ten others, according to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi account relayed by SBS 뉴스 and the internationally recognized government of Yemen.

“killing at least six people and injuring around ten others”

SBS 뉴스

SBS 뉴스 said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at an Egyptian-flagged cargo ship transporting food supplies, and then launched a secondary attack as rescue workers approached.

BBC

The BBC reported that the transport ministry said the vessel was hit with three ballistic missiles south of the port of Mocha, causing a fire on board and resulting in the deaths of four crew — three Pakistanis and one Indonesian — with a second deadly missile strike targeting rescuers.

The BBC also framed the attack as the first deadly attack by the group on a vessel since the US and Israel began striking Iran on 28 February, with the Houthis having launched their attacks on shipping last month by announcing a naval blockade of Saudi ports.

The BBC said Yemen’s coastguard later said a second deadly missile strike targeted rescuers who tried to evacuate the ship, while the Houthis said they hit a ship carrying Saudi military equipment.

In a statement carried by SBS 뉴스, the U.S. military disabled the steering gear of the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Bellanova after it attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran, and the U.S. Navy helicopter fired two air-to-surface precision-guided missiles into the engine room.

CBC

SBS 뉴스 added that all 17 crew members are reported to be safe after the strike and that the U.S. military explained the crew ignored repeated warnings.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned in SBS 뉴스 that the Strait of Hormuz will never be opened unless the U.S. lifts sanctions and returns frozen funds, as the BBC described the Strait of Hormuz as effectively shut down by Iran.

The BBC said the latest attack comes after a years-long truce in Yemen's civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government collapsed last month, with the Houthis controlling much of north-western Yemen and the government operating out of Aden.

“This poses a direct threat to food supplies and consumer goods for millions of Yemenis”

The New York Times

The New York Times reported that Yemen’s Transport Ministry said the vessel Tihamah was carrying food supplies and was hit while transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and later said the Yemeni Coast Guard reported two members of Yemen’s armed forces were killed during a rescue mission when another Houthi missile targeted the vessel.

The New York Times also quoted the Yemeni Transport Ministry warning that “This poses a direct threat to food supplies and consumer goods for millions of Yemenis,” while the BBC said the conflict has whipped up regional tensions with the Houthis also attacking Saudi tankers in the Red Sea and oil facilities.

Reuters coverage in the Hong Kong RTHK article added that Mohsen Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz shipping route will remain closed unless the US accepts Iran's conditions to end the war, including the release of Iran's frozen assets and an end to wars throughout the region, including in Lebanon and Gaza.