Three crew members were killed in a suspected attack on a cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to initial reports. The vessel, identified as the Egyptian-owned Tihamah, was sailing from Salalah, Oman, via Djibouti when it was hit.
The attack is suspected to have been carried out by the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis, though the group has not claimed responsibility. Yemeni coastguards in Mokha reported three deaths and said they successfully rescued the rest of the crew.
Crew members killed in the suspected attack on the Tihamah.
The deceased crew members included two Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national, according to reports, although casualty figures have varied. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report that the vessel was hit by an unknown projectile.
The British maritime security company Ambrey stated the incident occurred while the ship was anchored northeast of Perim Island, Yemen. The Tihamah is not owned or operated by a Saudi Arabian company; LSEG data indicates its owner and manager are from Egypt.
Second vessel struck off Pakistan
In a separate incident, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile off the coast of Pakistan while sailing toward the Gulf of Oman. The Wall Street Journal reported that a US helicopter attacked the Vela Nova with a Hellfire missile aimed at its rudder, allegedly after the crew tried to evade a US blockade of Iran-linked shipping.
Distance off the coast of Pakistan where the Vela Nova attack was believed to have occurred.
If confirmed, the Vela Nova would be the 12th vessel attacked by US forces since the blockade was announced in April. The incident highlights escalating tensions in the region.
Shipping declines in key straits
Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea has decreased by more than 50% compared to the period before the Houthi attacks between 2023 and 2025. Kpler data shows that an average of 32 ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait last week, compared to an average of 50 before the blockade.
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was recorded at six ships on Monday, compared to a 10-day average of approximately 11 and pre-war levels of 130 to 140 ships per day.
The Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20, which they claim is a response to a Saudi siege of Yemen, a claim Riyadh denies. In related incidents, the National Resistance Forces, led by Tariq Saleh, stated that the Houthis targeted the city of al-Mukha with 5 ballistic missiles and numerous UAVs.
Yemen TV reported that the Houthis targeted residential areas in Marib with ballistic missiles and UAVs. SABA television, affiliated with the Yemeni government, announced that a Houthi infiltration attempt in Taiz was thwarted, and an anonymous military source stated that pro-government forces captured some members of the group on the al-Kurayfat front in eastern Taiz.
