Four sailors killed in Red Sea attack, missile strike reported off Pakistan

Four crew members were killed on Tuesday when an Iran-backed Houthi attack struck a small cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to Yemen's transport ministry. The fatalities, if confirmed, would be the first deaths from Houthi strikes on shipping since the conflict with Iran began in late February.

The ministry identified the vessel as the Egyptian-owned Tihamah and said the crew lost control after the attack. Three Pakistanis and one Indonesian were among the dead. In a separate development, three coastguard personnel were injured by a drone while attempting to rescue the crew, Yemeni military sources said.

The Houthis, who have not claimed responsibility for the attack, declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20, citing an alleged siege. Riyadh has denied the claim.

British maritime security firm Ambrey said the ship was anchored northeast of Perim Island when it was hit by an unknown projectile, a report also logged by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

In a separate incident, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile off Pakistan's coast while heading into the Gulf of Oman, maritime security sources said. The Wall Street Journal reported that a U.S. helicopter fired a Hellfire missile at the ship's rudder after it attempted to evade a U.S. blockade of Iran-linked shipping. U.S. Central Command had no immediate comment.

If confirmed, this would be 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. The ship had recently called at Mumbai and Port Klang, Malaysia, where Iran-linked vessels have been observed, according to Charlie Brown, senior advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran.

Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea has dropped by more than half since an earlier wave of Houthi attacks in 2023-25. Last week, an average of 32 ships per day passed through the strait, down from 50 before the latest blockade, according to Kpler data. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has also fallen sharply, with just six transits on Monday compared with a prewar average of 130-140.