Latest news with #UKMTO
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Houthi Attacks Sink Ship in Red Sea Amid Renewed Threats
After a relatively calm first half of the year in the Red Sea despite high tensions throughout the Middle East, the Houthis attacked two commercial vessels in a 24-hour span across Sunday and Monday. The two incidents are the first attacks across both the Red Sea and the neighboring Gulf of Aden in 2025, and raise fears of a renewed campaign from the Yemeni militant group two months after they agreed to a ceasefire in the region. More from Sourcing Journal Watchdog: US Shipbuilding Aid Programs Lack Clear Goals to Power Trump's Maritime Push Thailand-Cambodia Border Closures Snarl Regional Trade, Apparel Manufacturing Maersk Resumes Haifa Imports; Strait of Hormuz Shipping Normalizes On Sunday, the Houthis conducted multiple attacks on the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Magic Seas, roughly 50 nautical miles (57.5 miles) off the cost of Yemen's Port of Hodeidah after ships in the vessel's ownership structure called at Israeli ports, the group confirmed. Multiple small vessels engaged the ship with small arms and self-propelled grenades, resulting in a fire, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The damage ended up sinking the ship, marking the third time the Yemeni group sunk a vessel in the area. According to Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Yahya Saree, the operation followed multiple warnings, which he claims the crew rejected. 'Our operations continue in targeting the depths of the Israeli entity in occupied Palestine, as well as preventing Israeli maritime navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas…until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege on it is lifted,' Saree said. Later that day, the Israeli air force hit Houthi targets across Yemen. A second Liberian-flagged cargo ship was targeted Monday, with two security guards on board reportedly hurt and two others missing. Authorities are investigating the incident. According to a Monday update from maritime security firm Ambrey, Israel-affiliated vessels sailing through the Red Sea remain at high risk. The company assessed that it was a realistic possibility that U.S., U.K., and allied-affiliated vessels may face heightened risk during transit if their states participate in military action against the Houthis or Iran. Other merchant shipping is assessed to be at a low risk. According to a post on X by Windward AI CEO Ami Daniel, the extent could range further depending on the Houthi definition of companies that 'violate' the militant group's 'ban' on entry to Israeli ports. Citing data from his predictive maritime intelligence company, Daniel noted that 1,113 vessels called at an Israeli port over the past six months. But those companies also manage a combined more than 15,000 other global commercial vessels. 'In other words, about one of six vessels in the world fleet is directly threatened by the Houthis as of today,' Daniel estimated. The Houthi attacks came just days after the largest container shipping company in the world, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), saw its first ship pass through the region in 18 months. The 6,700 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) MSC Antonia, which had run aground off the shores of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea in May, reportedly transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait late last month. A report from Lloyd's List indicated there was a gap in the ship's automatic identification system (AIS) broadcast between June 20 and June 21, when the vessel was initially berthed in Jeddah, and again from June 21 through June 26, when the ship appeared in the Indian Ocean sailing east. The AIS gap suggested possible electronic interference that jammed its GPS signals, which had been a concern for ships in the wider Arabian Peninsula in the wake of the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict. The report said this is the first known transit of an MSC-operated vessel since December 2023. As of Monday, the MSC Antonia is docked at the Vung Tau Port in Vietnam. MSC's decision follows that of fellow ocean carrier CMA CGM, which has periodically sailed vessels through the Red Sea throughout the crisis. While most of CMA CGM's ships still avoid the waterway, with the company insisting that it does not plan to resume transits in that direction for the short term, it has experimented with using multiple services on the route. Major container shipping firms like Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express, Evergreen and Yang Ming have all kept their distance from the Red Sea, with the liners citing a lack of guaranteed safety as the reason.
Sydney Morning Herald
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Three dead, many crew missing as Houthis sink Red Sea cargo ship
The Eternity C was carrying grain to Somalia for the World Food Programme and was targeted on Monday after completing its trip. The Houthis released footage of missiles being launched at the ship, with drone imagery showing its bridge appearing heavily damaged and oil leaking from the hull. Loading The bulk carrier took on water from holes along its waterline before sinking, as the rebels chanted: 'God is the greatest, death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam.' The attack is one of the deadliest carried out by the militant group since it began targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea in 2023 over Israel's war on Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza. On Sunday, the Houthis used missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire to target the Magic Seas, another Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged vessel, the UKMTO said. The Houthis released another dramatic video of that attack, showing masked gunmen storming the ship before sinking it with explosive charges. Twenty-two people on board were rescued, the United Arab Emirates said. The Red Sea is a crucial maritime trade route where $US1 trillion in cargo once passed through annually. From November 2023 to December 2024, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign the rebels describe as supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iranian-backed rebels stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. They later became the target of several weeks of bombing ordered by US President Donald Trump. But the attacks on the Eternity C and the Magic Seas raise new questions about the Red Sea's safety, as ships had slowly begun returning to its waters. Meanwhile, a new possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war – as well as the future of talks between the US and Iran over Tehran's battered nuclear program – remain in the balance. 'Grave concern' 'We are now with grave concern seeing an escalation in the Red Sea with attacks on two commercial ships resulting in civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage,' warned UN special envoy Hans Grundberg. The Eternity C, flagged out of Liberia but owned by a Greek firm, was probably targeted like the Magic Seas over its owners doing business with Israel. Neither vessel apparently requested an escort from the EU force. Washington has two aircraft carriers in the Middle East, the USS Nimitz and the USS Carl Vinson, but both are probably in the Arabian Sea, far from the site of the attacks. There are two American destroyers believed to be operating in the Red Sea. However, the ships attacked had no US ties, and a ceasefire between the Houthis and America announced after the bombing campaign this year still appears to be holding. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack in a prerecorded message on Wednesday as the EU force acknowledged it was still searching for those onboard. In the Philippines, migrant workers secretary Hans Cacdac said he had been leading an effort to reach out to the missing sailors' families to update them on the search and rescue efforts. 'It's human nature that one should be terribly worried and distraught about the situation,' Cacdac told the Associated Press by telephone. Grundberg, the UN envoy, also condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure after Israel bombed three Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen over the weekend and hit a power station. 'Yemen must not be drawn deeper into regional crises that threaten to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country,' he warned during an address to the Security Council. Last week, following the interception of a Houthi missile fired at Israel, US ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on X that 'Maybe those B2 bombers need to visit Yemen!' Yemen's war began when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's exiled government considered trying to retake the port of Hodeida by force in 2018, but ultimately decided against it as international criticism and worries about it being destroyed grew.
The Age
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Three dead, many crew missing as Houthis sink Red Sea cargo ship
The Eternity C was carrying grain to Somalia for the World Food Programme and was targeted on Monday after completing its trip. The Houthis released footage of missiles being launched at the ship, with drone imagery showing its bridge appearing heavily damaged and oil leaking from the hull. Loading The bulk carrier took on water from holes along its waterline before sinking, as the rebels chanted: 'God is the greatest, death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam.' The attack is one of the deadliest carried out by the militant group since it began targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea in 2023 over Israel's war on Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza. On Sunday, the Houthis used missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire to target the Magic Seas, another Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged vessel, the UKMTO said. The Houthis released another dramatic video of that attack, showing masked gunmen storming the ship before sinking it with explosive charges. Twenty-two people on board were rescued, the United Arab Emirates said. The Red Sea is a crucial maritime trade route where $US1 trillion in cargo once passed through annually. From November 2023 to December 2024, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign the rebels describe as supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iranian-backed rebels stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. They later became the target of several weeks of bombing ordered by US President Donald Trump. But the attacks on the Eternity C and the Magic Seas raise new questions about the Red Sea's safety, as ships had slowly begun returning to its waters. Meanwhile, a new possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war – as well as the future of talks between the US and Iran over Tehran's battered nuclear program – remain in the balance. 'Grave concern' 'We are now with grave concern seeing an escalation in the Red Sea with attacks on two commercial ships resulting in civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage,' warned UN special envoy Hans Grundberg. The Eternity C, flagged out of Liberia but owned by a Greek firm, was probably targeted like the Magic Seas over its owners doing business with Israel. Neither vessel apparently requested an escort from the EU force. Washington has two aircraft carriers in the Middle East, the USS Nimitz and the USS Carl Vinson, but both are probably in the Arabian Sea, far from the site of the attacks. There are two American destroyers believed to be operating in the Red Sea. However, the ships attacked had no US ties, and a ceasefire between the Houthis and America announced after the bombing campaign this year still appears to be holding. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack in a prerecorded message on Wednesday as the EU force acknowledged it was still searching for those onboard. In the Philippines, migrant workers secretary Hans Cacdac said he had been leading an effort to reach out to the missing sailors' families to update them on the search and rescue efforts. 'It's human nature that one should be terribly worried and distraught about the situation,' Cacdac told the Associated Press by telephone. Grundberg, the UN envoy, also condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure after Israel bombed three Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen over the weekend and hit a power station. 'Yemen must not be drawn deeper into regional crises that threaten to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country,' he warned during an address to the Security Council. Last week, following the interception of a Houthi missile fired at Israel, US ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on X that 'Maybe those B2 bombers need to visit Yemen!' Yemen's war began when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's exiled government considered trying to retake the port of Hodeida by force in 2018, but ultimately decided against it as international criticism and worries about it being destroyed grew.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Indian Express
At least 4 killed, 15 missing after Houthis sink second Red Sea cargo ship in a week
At least four people were killed and six crew members were rescued alive after Yemen based Houthi militant group attacked and sank a second ship in the Red Sea this week, while the whereabouts of 15 others aboard the ship remain unknown, a European naval mission said. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack which the maritime officials said have killed 4 out of the 25 aboard the cargo ship. The Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated Eternity C sustained heavy damage and lost all propulsion after small boats hit the ship via rocket-propelled grenades on Monday and the Eternity C went down on Wednesday, stated UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The attack by the Houthi militants continued on Tuesday while search and rescue operations were launched overnight. The six seafarers spent more than 24 hours in the waters before being rescued alive, Reuters reported. 20250709-UKMTO_WARNING_INCIDENT_027-25-UPDATE 004https:// #MarSec — UKMTO Ops Centre (@UK_MTO) July 9, 2025 The United States Mission in Yemen accused the Iran-backed Houthis of kidnapping several surviving crew members from the Eternity C and called for their immediate release. Houthis later stated that they attacked the Eternity C as it was heading to Israel, and acknowledged that they took an unspecified number of crew to a 'safe location'. In a televised address, Houthis military spokesperson said 'The Yemeni Navy responded to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location,' Reuters reported. The Philippines administration stated that 21 members of the crew were its citizens. One of the crew was a Russian national who was seriously injured in the attack and lost a leg. Houthis have attacked second cargo ship in a week in Red Sea as the militant group attacked a vessel on Sunday with drones and missiles which was also a Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo ship, Magic Seas which they claimed 'belonged to a company that violated the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine,' BBC reported.
Qatar Tribune
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Houthis release video of sinking ship as tensions simmer in Red Sea
dpa Sana'a Yemen's Houthi rebels have released dramatic video footage showing the bulk carrier Magic Seas sinking in the Red Sea, further escalating tensions in one of the world's most critical shipping lanes. The video shows multiple explosions hitting the 200-meter-long, Liberia-flagged vessel, which then slowly submerges beneath the waves. The Houthi military claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday and said it used drone boats and explosive devices attached to the ship's hull. The EU's Operation Atalanta, monitoring piracy in the Indian Ocean, confirmed that the attackers approached in small boats and that the ship's 22-member crew abandoned the vessel after a fire broke out. All of them were later rescued by a nearby merchant ship, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. Senior Houthi official Ali al-Dailami described the attack as a 'clear message of deterrence' aimed at countries and companies doing business with Israel. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthis have targeted commercial ships that they say have Israeli ties. Later on Wednesday, the Houthis also claimed said they had sunk another cargo vessel, the Eternity C, which they said was en route to the Israeli port of Eilat. They claimed that the operation involved six ballistic and cruise missiles, plus an unmanned boat. They vowed to continue their naval campaign until the Gaza blockade is lifted and Israeli operations cease.
