Four crew members were killed on Tuesday during an attack by Iran-backed Houthi militants on a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Yemen transport ministry stated. The fatalities included three Pakistanis and one Indonesian national.
The Houthi militia fired three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni merchant ship, identified as the Egyptian-owned cargo vessel Tihamah, according to the transport ministry and LSEG data. The Tihamah was at anchor northeast of Perim Island, Yemen, when the incident occurred, according to the maritime security group Ambrey.
The Yemeni government stated the vessel was carrying food supplies to a port on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Ambrey reported that the Tihamah had departed the government-held port of al-Mokha on Saturday and was not Saudi-owned or operated.
The transport ministry reported that an additional missile was fired at rescue workers attempting to reach the ship, resulting in one Yemeni helper being injured. Furthermore, Yemeni military sources stated that three coastguard personnel were injured by a drone during the rescue attempt.
The reported US action against the Vela Nova underscores heightened scrutiny of Iran-related shipping.
Reports of attack on Vela Nova
Maritime security sources told Reuters that the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile while sailing into the Gulf of Oman, approximately 71 nautical miles off the coast of Pakistan, according to the Vanguard maritime risk management group. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Vela Nova was attacked by a US helicopter that fired a Hellfire missile at the ship's rudder because the vessel tried to evade a US blockade of Iran-linked shipping.
Maritime traffic declines
Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea has reportedly decreased by more than 50 per cent since the wave of Houthi attacks in 2023-25. Kpler data shows that an average of 32 ships per day passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait last week, down from a pre-blockade average of 50.
Average daily traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, compared to a 10-day average of 11 and prewar levels of 130 to 140, according to shipping data.
The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20, citing a Saudi siege. While the Houthis have not commented on the attack on the Tihamah, Riyadh denies that Yemen is under siege.
