Houthi Attack Kills 6 in Red Sea as US Strikes Ship in Gulf of Oman
Ballistic Missiles Strike Commercial Vessel
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels killed six people on Tuesday in a ballistic missile attack on a commercial vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. It marks the first fatalities from maritime strikes off Yemen in over a year.
The casualties included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces. Yemen’s Transportation Ministry and coast guard reports confirmed the figures to local authorities.
Escalation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
The strike occurred as maritime traffic faces renewed pressure following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. Yemeni authorities reported that the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the commercial ship.
The attack highlights mounting dangers along the vital southern Red Sea route utilized by Saudi Arabia for oil exports. This maritime violence coincided with an offensive by the Houthis against the government-held port city of Mokha and other regions in Yemen.
Clashes in Mokha and Ceasefire Disputes
Dozens of government troops and civilians have died in these clashes since the previous week, according to the Yemeni military.
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator and spokesperson for the Houthis, blamed Saudi Arabia in a public social media statement. He accused Riyadh of utilizing a 2022 ceasefire to tighten an air and sea blockade established in 2015.
Abdul-Salam stated that the group remains open to negotiations provided any settlement includes lifting the blockade.
U.S. Forces Disable Sanctions-Bypassing Ship
While shipping lanes faced deadly assaults near Yemen, American forces engaged a vessel attempting to bypass sanctions in Middle Eastern waters.
United States Central Command stated that military forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman after the crew ignored repeated orders to stop. An American helicopter launched missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, successfully disabling the vessel to enforce the ongoing U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.
Naval Operations and Diplomatic Missions
Central Command figures indicate that the military has redirected 55 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled three noncompliant ships, and boarded two. More than 15 U.S. warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship, remain positioned in the Arabian Sea.
Despite the security operations, Iran has maintained its closure of the Strait of Hormuz following joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Feb. 28, rejecting demands to lift sanctions or end the port blockade.
President Donald Trump asserted during a trip to Ohio that the U.S. military maintains total control over the Hormuz waterway, dismissing ongoing disruptions to transit. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continued as Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran on Tuesday to hold discussions with Iran’s foreign minister aimed at easing regional tensions and addressing the security crisis surrounding shipping routes.