Attack on Cargo Ship and U.S. Military Action in Strategic Waters

Four crew members lost their lives in an attack by Iran-backed Houthis on a cargo ship navigating the Bab el-Mandeb strait, as reported by Yemen’s transport ministry. The U.S. military noted a separate strike on a container ship headed toward an Iranian port. The attack, involving the Egyptian-owned Tihamah, stands as the first confirmed fatality from a Houthi assault on maritime vessels since conflict began in late February.

The Houthis later acknowledged targeting a vessel in Bab el-Mandeb, alleging it transported Saudi military gear, though they did not identify the ship. Visual confirmation pinpointed the attacked cargo ship as the Tihamah through satellite imagery comparisons.

The Saudi Center for International Communication withheld comments on the issue, while UK Maritime Trade Operations reported another incident in the region, noting a ship hit by an unidentified projectile.

Ship data captured the Tihamah close to Murad, Yemen, on August 11. The attack, confirmed by Yemeni coast guard and military officials, left three Pakistani crew members dead, as stated by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, along with one Indonesian fatality. As rescuers arrived, Houthis attacked a second time, killing two more from the National Resistance Forces.

Protests have risen in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, against a perceived Saudi-led blockade, though Saudi Arabia denies any siege against Yemen.

Incident in the Gulf of Oman

The U.S. Central Command reported disabling the steering of the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman, following refusal to respect a naval blockade on Iranian ports. This marks the third strike since the blockade was reaffirmed on July 14.

Charlie Brown from United Against Nuclear Iran commented on the intense focus on Iran-related shipping, highlighting Vela Nova’s recent docking in Mumbai and Port Klang.

Impact on Maritime Traffic

Traffic through Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea has decreased by over 50% following a series of Houthi attacks. The recent blockade further reduced the average daily passage to 32 ships last week. LSEG data shows Egyptian company ownership of the Tihamah, which had left al-Mokha, a Yemeni government port, before the incident.

In the Strait of Hormuz, shipping has also slowed, with only six vessels passing recently, a significant drop from pre-conflict levels.