DUBAI, UAE — The crew of a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship abandoned their vessel Sunday night after it was set ablaze and began taking on water following a series of escalating attacks in the Red Sea, the British military confirmed — the most serious maritime incident in the region in weeks.
The vessel, identified as the Magic Seas, was reportedly struck by drone boats, rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms fire in an area southwest of Hodeidah, Yemen — territory controlled by the Houthi rebels.
While Houthi media acknowledged the attack, the group has not yet officially claimed responsibility.
According to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the ship’s onboard security team initially responded to gunfire before the ship was later hit by unidentified projectiles and caught fire.
Private maritime security firm Ambrey later said the attack involved eight small boats and at least four explosive-laden drone boats, two of which struck the ship. The other two were reportedly destroyed by the ship’s armed guards.
The ship’s crew abandoned the vessel as it began taking on water, and the ship was left adrift in the Red Sea. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and CENTCOM acknowledged awareness of the incident but did not provide further details.
Yemen’s exiled government, through Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani, squarely blamed the Houthis for the strike.
He described the attack as further proof of the group acting on behalf of Iranian interests, using advanced weaponry supplied by Tehran to disrupt global shipping and destabilize the region.
“This attack shows the Houthis are simply executing Iran’s agenda using Yemen as a launchpad,” al-Eryani wrote on social media platform X.
The attack comes at a fragile moment in the Middle East, with ceasefire negotiations in the Israel-Hamas conflict hanging in the balance and heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Analysts suggest the renewed threat to international shipping may be a strategic move by the Houthis to signal their continued operational reach amid diplomatic uncertainty.
“It likely serves as a message that the Houthis maintain the capability and will to target strategic maritime assets,” said Mohammad al-Basha, a Yemen expert at the Basha Report.
Between late 2023 and early 2025, the Houthis have targeted over 100 vessels transiting the Red Sea, sinking two and killing at least four crew members.
While attacks had subsided following a U.S.-led counteroffensive in March, Sunday’s incident marks a potential renewal of hostilities on critical shipping lanes. The Red Sea typically sees $1 trillion in trade pass through annually.
Meanwhile, the Houthi-Israeli tensions remain volatile. On the same day as the ship attack, the group claimed it had launched a missile toward Israel, which was reportedly intercepted by Israeli defense forces.
The Israeli military also warned it would launch airstrikes on Houthi-controlled ports in Hodeidah, Salif, Ras Isa, and a power station in Ras al-Khatib.
Though pirates and the Yemeni Coast Guard have also been active in the region, experts say the tactics used in this latest incident — specifically, drone boats — point clearly to Houthi involvement.