Key facts
- At least six people were killed in alleged Houthi strikes on a cargo vessel near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Yemen's coastguard accused Houthis of attacking a rescue mission following the initial strike.
- Three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national were among the crew killed in the Houthi attack.
- The Tanzania-flagged cargo ship Tihamah was attacked by Houthis.
- The Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was reportedly hit by a missile off Pakistan.
- A U.S. helicopter reportedly fired a Hellfire missile at the Vela Nova's rudder after it attempted to evade a U.S. blockade.
At least six people were killed in alleged strikes by the Houthi rebel group on a cargo vessel near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Yemen's coastguard. The coastguard also accused the Houthis of attacking a rescue mission that was evacuating the ship following the initial attack. Three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national were among the crew killed.
Separately, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was reportedly hit by a missile off Pakistan while sailing into the Gulf of Oman. The Wall Street Journal reported that a U.S. helicopter fired a Hellfire missile at the ship's rudder after it attempted to evade a U.S. blockade of Iran-linked shipping. If confirmed, this would be the 12th vessel attacked by U.S. forces since its blockade was announced in April and the third since the blockade was reimposed on July 14.
Shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and Red Sea has fallen by more than 50% since a previous wave of Houthi attacks in 2023-25, and has decreased further since the Houthis announced their blockade last month. An average of 32 ships per day passed through the strait last week, down from an average of 50 before the blockade.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in Bab el-Mandeb, Houthi-run news agency Saba reported, though there was no immediate Saudi confirmation. The Houthis had previously stated they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in response to a Saudi siege on Yemen.
The tally of vessels tracked in the Strait of Hormuz fell to a one-week low of eight on Tuesday, with owners avoiding the key waterway amid continued hostilities in the Middle East. The United States and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis reported separate attacks as prospects appeared to dim for an end to the Iran war.