Houthi attacks in the Red Sea: Ship attacked by Iran-backed rebels probably sunk

CNN
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A Greek coal freighter apparently capsized in the Red Sea just days after the attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, according to a report by UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The MV Tutor is believed to be the second ship sunk by the Houthis since March, when the British-registered ship Rubymar was hit by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-held territory in Yemen.

Rebels have launched dozens of rocket and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel began invading Gaza following Hamas-led attacks on October 7. Since then, tensions have escalated across the Middle East, with key players in the region strongly condemning the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s more than eight-month bombardment of Gaza.

Israel launched its military offensive in October after militants led by Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, killed at least 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 others.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 37,396 Palestinians have been killed and another 85,523 people injured in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since then.

The Tutor was first struck by a smaller boat on June 12 before being hit a second time by “an unknown aerial projectile,” according to UKMTO. A crew member was reported missing after the attack, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last week.

After the ship’s entire crew was evacuated, it began to drift before sinking on Tuesday, according to UKMTO.

A Houthi spokesman had previously said the ship had been attacked by a sea drone, ballistic missiles and other drones because it had violated the so-called “ban on visits to occupied Palestinian ports”.

The Houthi-run news channel Al Masirah confirmed foreign media reports of the sinking on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, CENTCOM stated on X: “The Houthis claim to act on behalf of the Palestinians in Gaza, yet they target and threaten the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. The Houthis’ ongoing threat to international trade actually makes it difficult to get much-needed aid to the people of Yemen and Gaza.”

According to the US Central Command, CENTCOM launched attacks on Houthi radars earlier this month, facilitating the group’s ongoing attacks on ships in the Red Sea.