Houthi attack ends six-month lull in Red Sea shipping threats
Yemen-based Houthi militants have launched their first attack on a commercial vessel in nearly six months, according to the United States Naval Institute (USNI).
IMAGE: Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas. Vesselfinder
The Magic Seas, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier sailing from Zhuhai, China to the Suez Canal, was attacked in the Red Sea on 6 July off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen. The vessel was carrying steel products and fertiliser, according to maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Magic Seas has completely sunk into the depths of the sea, after being targeted by our armed forces in response to the repeated violations by its owning company of the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine,” a Houthi spokesperson stated on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The ship was initially attacked by small boats using live fire and grenades, before being hit by projectiles that caused fire and flooding. Following the assault, the crew abandoned the vessel and were rescued without injuries, according to the UK-based maritime intelligence agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
“This marks the first attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea since December 2024,” noted Lars Jensen, chief executive of Danish consultancy Vespucci Maritime.
The incident ends a six-month period of relative calm in the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which had previously seen a wave of Houthi attacks from late 2023 through the end of 2024, severely disrupting maritime trade between Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have launched aerial strikes targeting Houthi-controlled seaports in Yemen. One of the reported targets was the Galaxy Leader, a vessel still held by the Houthis since its hijacking in 2023, which marked the beginning of the Red Sea crisis, Jensen added.
Following this attack, the UKMTO has advised other vessels to transit the route with caution.
In June, UKMTO had warned that growing tensions in the Middle East could once again threaten the security of Red Sea shipping routes.
The recent attack has once again raised serious security concerns for commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
By Tuhin Roy
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