A Liberian-flagged cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sank on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) in the Red Sea, and a European naval drive in the Mideast mentioned solely six of the 25 individuals who had been on board have been rescued.
The assault on the Eternity C, which additionally killed not less than three of the crew, represents essentially the most critical assault carried out by the Houthis in the essential maritime commerce route the place $1 trillion in cargo as soon as handed by way of yearly.
From November 2023 to December 2024, the Houthis focused greater than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a marketing campaign the rebels describe as supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip through the Israel-Hamas warfare.
The Iranian-backed rebels stopped their assaults throughout a short ceasefire in the warfare. They later turned the goal of an intense weeks-long marketing campaign of airstrikes ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The assault on the Eternity C, in addition to the sinking of the majority provider Magic Seas in one other assault Sunday, elevate new questions in regards to the Red Sea’s security as ships had slowly begun returning to its waters. Meanwhile, a brand new attainable ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas warfare — in addition to the long run of talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s battered nuclear program — stay in the steadiness.
“We are now with grave concern seeing an escalation in the Red Sea with attacks on two commercial ships earlier this week by Ansar Allah, resulting in civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage,” warned United Nations particular envoy Hans Grundberg, utilizing one other identify for the rebels.
Six of 25 on board have been rescued
A press release from the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea mentioned the crew of the ship included 22 sailors, amongst them 21 Filipinos and one Russian, in addition to a three-member safety group. Those rescued had been 5 Filipinos and one Indian.
Three folks additionally had been killed through the hourslong assault on the ship, the EU drive mentioned, and their nationalities weren’t instantly recognized.
The armed rebels had attacked the ship with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, later utilizing two drones and two drone boats carrying bombs to strike the vessel, the EU drive mentioned. The Eternity C sank at 7.50 a.m. on Wednesday, it added.
The ship, flagged out of Liberia however owned by a Greek agency, probably had been focused just like the Magic Seas over its agency doing enterprise with Israel. Neither vessel apparently requested an escort from the EU drive.
The U.S. army has two plane carriers in the Mideast, the USS Nimitz and the USS Carl Vinson, however each probably are in the Arabian Sea, removed from the positioning of the assaults. There are two American destroyers believed to be working in the Red Sea. However, the ships attacked had no U.S. ties and a ceasefire between the Houthis and America introduced after the bombing marketing campaign earlier this 12 months nonetheless seems to be holding.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a Houthi army spokesman, claimed the assault in a prerecorded message Wednesday evening because the EU drive acknowledged it was nonetheless looking for these onboard with personal business rescuers.
The Houthis later launched footage of them launching missiles on the Eternity C. The bridge appeared closely broken by the assault and oil leaked from the vessel. The ship took on water from holes alongside its waterline earlier than sinking beneath the waves, the rebels chanting: “God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam.”
The Houthis launched an identical video after their assault on the tanker Sounion in August 2024 and on Tuesday from their assault on the Magic Seas.
In the Philippines, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac mentioned he has been main an effort to achieve out to the households of the lacking Filipino sailors to replace them on the search and rescue efforts.
“It’s human nature that one should be terribly worried and distraught about the situation,” Mr. Cacdac instructed The Associated Press by phone. “It’s our role in government to be there for them in their utmost hour of need to ensure that not just government services but throughout this hand-holding process, we will provide the necessary support.”
The assaults on the ships drew worldwide condemnation.
“These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned. “The United States has been clear: We will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks.”
The EU drive earlier mentioned one of the wounded crew misplaced his leg.
Mr. Grundberg, the UN envoy, additionally decried the concentrating on of civilian infrastructure after Israel bombed three Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen over the weekend and hit an influence station.
“Yemen must not be drawn deeper into regional crises that threaten to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country,” he warned throughout an handle to the Security Council.
