Red Sea attack turns deadly: 3 killed as Yemen's Houthis rebels strike Liberian ship, claim to have sunk another days earlier

Three mariners were killed and two others injured in a deadly Houthi rebel attack on the Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship, in the Red Sea, the European Union’s naval mission Operation Aspides confirmed on Tuesday. One of the wounded crew members lost a leg, and the vessel is now adrift, with its remaining crew still onboard.

The bulk carrier was heading north toward the Suez Canal when it came under coordinated fire from small boats and bomb-laden drones on Monday night. Armed guards aboard the ship returned fire, but could not prevent the damage.

Second attack in days signals possible new Houthi campaign
The strike follows another assault just a day earlier, when Houthi fighters attacked and reportedly sank the Magic Seas, another Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ship, forcing its 22-member crew to abandon ship. The two attacks, coming just days apart, have broken a months-long lull in Houthi operations against shipping and raised alarm over a possible renewed campaign targeting global trade routes.

Though the Houthis have not formally claimed responsibility for the Eternity C attack, Yemen’s exiled government and the EU naval force both squarely blamed the rebel group.

Strategic waterway under threat again
The Red Sea, a key maritime trade corridor linking Europe and Asia, carries over $1 trillion in goods annually. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant ships, sinking two and killing four sailors. While shipping had picked up in recent weeks, these latest incidents threaten to reverse that fragile recovery.

The timing is significant: tensions are already high in the Middle East as talks of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hang in the balance. Meanwhile, Iran is weighing its next moves after recent U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear infrastructure during the Israel-Iran conflict in June.

The Houthis claim their maritime campaign is part of their effort to pressure Israel into ending its military operations in Gaza. Experts now fear a renewed escalation could drag U.S. and Western forces back into regional conflict, especially under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has previously launched large-scale strikes against the Houthis.