Houthi Rebels Attack Ships in Red Sea, Desperate Rescue for Crew

A frantic global rescue operation is underway to save the surviving crew of the Greek-operated *Eternity C*, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier left adrift and listing in the Red Sea after a deadly attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. On Monday, July 7, the vessel, carrying 21 Filipino seafarers and one Russian, was assaulted with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) fired from manned speedboats, killing at least four crew members and injuring two. The attack, the second on commercial shipping in as many days, marks a violent resurgence of Houthi aggression in a critical maritime corridor, raising fears of renewed conflict that could draw in Western forces.

Deadly Assault

The *Eternity C* was 50 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah when it came under fire on Monday evening. According to maritime security sources, the attack began with a barrage of RPGs and gunfire from multiple small boats, followed by explosive-laden sea drones that struck the vessel’s bridge and hull. The ship’s telecommunications were severed, and its lifeboats were destroyed, leaving the 22 crew members stranded on a listing vessel with no means of escape. “The *Eternity C* remains surrounded by small craft and is under continuous attack,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) warned on Tuesday.

The assault killed at least four seafarers, with two others seriously injured, according to the European Union’s Operation Aspides, which monitors Red Sea shipping. Initial reports from Liberia’s delegation to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) cited two deaths, but updated accounts confirmed a higher toll, bringing the total seafarer fatalities in Red Sea attacks to eight since November 2023. The ship’s operator, Athens-based Cosmoship Management, has not confirmed the casualties, leaving families in the Philippines and Russia awaiting news.

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A Global Rescue Effort

Today, maritime security firms, including Greece-based Diaplous, launched a high-stakes mission to evacuate the surviving crew and recover the bodies of those killed. “It is an operation to rescue the crew, some of whom are injured and need assistance, and collect the bodies of the seafarers who lost their lives,” a Diaplous official told Reuters. The operation faces significant challenges: the vessel’s severe damage, ongoing Houthi presence, and the crew’s inability to abandon ship due to destroyed lifeboats. Greece is reportedly in diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia to support the effort.

By late Wednesday, four maritime security sources reported that the *Eternity C* had sunk, with some crew members in the water. Five had reportedly been rescued, but the fate of others remained unclear.

Houthi Resurgence

The attack on *Eternity C* followed a similar assault on Sunday, July 6, against the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated *Magic Seas*, which the Houthis claimed to have sunk with drones, missiles, RPGs, and small arms fire. The *Magic Seas*’ 19 crew members were rescued by a passing merchant vessel and reached Djibouti safely, though the ship’s sinking remains unverified by independent sources. The Houthis justified the *Magic Seas* attack by alleging the vessel’s operator, Allseas Marine, had ties to Israeli ports, a claim also leveled against *Eternity C*’s fleet.

Houthis Attack Magic Seas (Video: Uncredited)

The Houthis, who have disrupted Red Sea shipping since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war, paused attacks after a U.S.-Houthi ceasefire in May 2025. However, they vowed to continue targeting Israel-linked vessels, a promise renewed after Israel resumed its Gaza offensive on March 18, 2025. Since then, the Houthis have fired 58 ballistic missiles and 13 drones at Israel, with Monday’s attacks on *Eternity C* and *Magic Seas* marking their first strikes on commercial shipping since November 2024. The IMO’s Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, condemned the attacks as a “violation of international law and freedom of navigation,” noting that “innocent seafarers and local populations are the main victims.”

A Human Toll

The *Eternity C*’s crew, predominantly Filipino, highlights the vulnerability of seafarers in conflict zones. The Philippines, a major source of global merchant mariners, urged its seafarers on Tuesday to exercise their right to refuse sailing in “high-risk, war-like” areas like the Red Sea. Filipino seafarers, who make up one of the world’s largest maritime workforces, have faced disproportionate risks in Houthi attacks, with the *Eternity C* casualties adding to the toll. Families in Manila awaited updates, with officials confirming 21 of the 22 crew were Filipino.

The Red Sea, a vital artery for $1 trillion in annual trade, has seen a 50% drop in traffic since Houthi attacks began in 2023, forcing ships to reroute around South Africa at a cost of nearly $200 billion. Jakob Larsen of the shipping association BIMCO noted that the “unpredictability of the security situation” will likely maintain this trend, with the recent attacks unlikely to shift current patterns significantly.

Regional and Global Stakes

The *Eternity C* attack coincided with Israeli airstrikes on Monday targeting Houthi infrastructure at Yemen’s ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and al-Salif, including the hijacked *Galaxy Leader*, a ship seized by the Houthis in November 2023 and used for radar surveillance. The strikes, Israel’s first on Yemen in a month, were in response to Houthi missile fire at Israel.

The U.S. State Department condemned the Houthi attacks on *Eternity C* and *Magic Seas* as “unprovoked terror” threatening regional security, pledging to protect freedom of navigation. The EU’s Operation Aspides and private firms like Ambrey, which confirmed *Magic Seas*’ sinking, have intensified monitoring, but the Houthis’ use of Russian, Chinese, and Iranian-sourced weapons, including drones and missiles, complicates defense efforts. Human Rights Watch has labeled Houthi attacks on civilian vessels as potential war crimes, citing indiscriminate targeting and possible hostage-taking of crews.

The attacks signal a perilous new phase in the Red Sea crisis, linked to the broader Israel-Hamas conflict and Iran’s proxy war with Israel and the U.S. With Gaza ceasefire talks faltering and Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowing a “sustained confrontation,” the region braces for further escalation. For the seafarers caught in the crossfire, the rescue effort is a race against time, a stark reminder of the human cost of a war far from their shore.