Houthis Suspected in Red Sea Cargo Ship Attack Killing Four

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:30:19 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Four crew members were killed when a cargo vessel was struck by ballistic missiles in the Red Sea, a strike believed to have been carried out by Iran‑backed Houthis.

Yemeni officials report that four crew members of the cargo ship Tihamah were killed after the vessel was hit by three ballistic missiles in the Red Sea. The attack, suspected to have been carried out by Iran‑backed Houthi rebels, marks the group’s first fatal strike on a commercial vessel since the conflict against Iran opened in February. Maritime risk company Vanguard noted that Yemeni Navy ships engaged the incident, sustaining injuries. Images verified by BBC Fact Check show the damaged ship, which was carrying food supplies, under a smoldering blaze.

Houthis Suspected in Red Sea Cargo Ship Attack Killing Four

Four crew members—three Pakistanis and one Indonesian—were killed when the cargo vessel Tihamah was struck by three ballistic missiles in the Red Sea, Yemeni officials said. The ship was sailing under the flag of Tanzania and owned by an Egyptian operator.

The strike, believed to have been carried out by Iran‑backed Houthi rebels, would be the group’s first fatal attack on a commercial vessel since the United States and Israel opened a conflict against Iran in February. The Yemen transport ministry said the missile impact caused a fire and disabled the ship, leading to the casualties.

Maritime risk company Vanguard reported that Yemeni Navy ships hastened to assist the beleaguered vessel, but were met with gunfire, causing three personnel injuries. The ships’ involvement also highlighted the dangerous environment for merchant shipping in the Bab al‑Mandab Strait.

The event follows a month‑long Houthi campaign that began in November 2025, when the rebels announced a blockade of Saudi ports and launched attacks on Saudi tankers and oil facilities. It also coincides with Iran’s closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for 30 % of global oil and natural‑gas traffic.

Images verified by BBC Fact Check show the battered Tihamah under a smoldering blaze, corroborating the Yemen government’s description of a “Yemeni commercial ship” that had been transporting food supplies. The footage was shared by the semi‑official Iranian news agency Mehr and confirmed to be free of AI manipulation by investigators.