Four crew members were killed in an attack on Tuesday by Iran-backed Houthis targeting a small cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to Yemen’s transport ministry and France 24. The fatalities aboard the Egyptian-owned vessel, identified as the Tihamah, mark the first deaths resulting from a Houthi strike on shipping since the Iran war began on February 28. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack.
Deadly Red Sea Cargo Ship Strike
Yemeni officials reported that three Pakistanis and one Indonesian were among those killed, and that the crew lost control of the vessel after it was struck by an unknown projectile. The incident took place while the ship was at anchor northeast of Perim Island, according to the British maritime security group Ambrey and a report received by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Maritime security sources noted that the Tihamah had departed from the Yemeni government-held port of al-Mokha. Following the attack, three coastguard personnel were injured by a drone while attempting to rescue the crew, Yemeni military sources said.
Container Ship Struck Off Pakistan
In a separate incident on Tuesday, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile off the coast of Pakistan while sailing into the Gulf of Oman, according to maritime security sources cited by Reuters. Reports indicated the vessel was targeted by a U.S. helicopter that fired a Hellfire missile at its rudder after the ship attempted to evade a U.S. blockade targeting Iran-linked shipping in the region. U.S. Central Command offered no immediate comment on the strike.
The UK maritime risk management group Vanguard estimated that the ship was hit approximately 71 nautical miles off Pakistan’s coast. If confirmed, this operation represents the 12th vessel attacked by U.S. forces since the blockade was announced in April, and the third since it was reimposed on July 14. Charlie Brown, a senior advisor at the U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), stated that the Vela Nova had recently made port calls in Mumbai and Port Klang, Malaysia, where other Iran-linked ships had been observed.
Broader Shipping and Regional Disruptions
Commercial transit through vital Middle Eastern chokepoints has experienced severe declines amid the ongoing conflict. According to Kpler data, traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea has dropped by more than 50% compared to levels seen during an earlier wave of Houthi attacks from 2023 to 2025. Weekly averages fell further following a maritime embargo announced by the Houthis, recording an average of 32 ships per day last week compared to 50 prior to the blockade.
Disruptions are even more pronounced in the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has fallen significantly due to a U.S. naval blockade restricting Iran’s oil exports. Only six vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, down from a 10-day average of about 11 ships and prewar levels of roughly 130 to 140 vessels per day, as reported by NewsNation.
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