Key facts
- Houthi rebels attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, killing four crew members.
- The attack, suspected to be by Iran-backed Houthis, is the first deadly strike on a vessel since the conflict with Iran escalated.
- The ship, identified as Tihamah, was struck by three ballistic missiles south of the port of Mocha.
- Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demanded the US end its blockade of Iranian ports.
- The Yemeni government described the attack as an escalation in the Houthis' approach.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels are suspected of carrying out a deadly attack on a small cargo ship in the Red Sea, killing four crew members. The Yemeni government stated the vessel was hit by three ballistic missiles south of the port of Mocha, causing a fire and resulting in the deaths of three Pakistanis and one Indonesian. If confirmed, this would be the first fatal strike by the group on a vessel since the conflict between the US and Iran escalated.
The Houthis began attacking shipping lanes last month, and this incident follows a years-long truce in Yemen's civil war that collapsed recently. The conflict has heightened regional tensions, with the Houthis also targeting Saudi facilities. Images verified by the BBC show a damaged cargo ship, identified as the Tihamah, sailing under the flag of Tanzania and owned by an Egyptian operator, though Yemen's ministry of transport referred to it as a "Yemeni commercial ship".
In parallel, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened until the US meets its conditions, including an end to the naval blockade of Iranian ports. He stated that securing the strait requires an end to "aggressive actions and unlawful interventions" by the United States. US President Donald Trump has demanded compensation from Iran for alleged past actions and asserted US control over the Strait of Hormuz.