THE RED SEA SHIPPING CRISIS IS RAPIDLY WORSENING AS ATTACKS ESCALATE.

The situation in the Red Sea has escalated seriously, with a series of attacks on ships and retaliatory airstrikes on Yemeni ports, posing the greatest risks to the shipping industry since the beginning of the year.

 

 

Israel Launches Airstrikes on Yemeni Ports (Source: PTI)

 

The security situation in the Red Sea has taken a drastic turn for the worse over the past 48 hours, marked by successive attacks on commercial vessels and Israeli airstrikes targeting several Yemeni ports.

 

Yesterday, the bulk carrier Eternity C, sailing under the Liberian flag and operated by Greek company Cosmoship Management, was attacked in a coordinated assault involving drones, speedboats, and small arms fire about 50 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s Port of Hodeidah. The armed security team onboard returned fire, but two crew members were seriously injured and two others remain missing. The Eternity C was left drifting after its engine was disabled and its communications systems cut off due to a direct hit on the command bridge.

 

According to maritime security firm Ambrey, the vessel matched the target profile of Houthi forces. The assault followed a similar attack the day before on the Magic Seas, also in the Red Sea, marking a concerning escalation in the group’s maritime campaign.

 

Simultaneously with the vessel attacks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a series of airstrikes under Operation Black Flag, targeting the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Saleef. Israel stated the airstrikes were retaliatory measures in response to continued Houthi aggression against its territory and maritime interests.

 

Satellite imagery and field reports confirm extensive damage to port infrastructure. The Saleef power plant — vital to the port’s flour mills and grain silos — is believed to have been destroyed, hindering cargo unloading operations. Two Barbados-flagged bulk carriers may also have sustained damage from secondary blasts, though crew casualties have not been confirmed.

 

The IDF also struck the Galaxy Leader, a car carrier seized by Houthi forces in November 2023, which was reportedly retrofitted with radar equipment used to track maritime traffic. The vessel was docked at Ras Isa at the time of the strike. The Houthi group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Magic Seas, alleging the ship was sunk — a claim that remains unverified. If confirmed, it would be the third vessel lost since the group began its anti-commercial shipping campaign in November 2023, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

 

Ambrey and UKMTO are now advising commercial vessels in the region to minimize deck movements, designate safe muster points above the waterline, and avoid approaching vessels not broadcasting AIS signals. With multiple confirmed attacks, casualties, and major port damage, the Red Sea shipping industry is facing its most volatile period this year.

 

In a rare piece of positive news, India’s Directorate General of Shipping has confirmed the release of over 150 Indian seafarers stranded at Ras Isa Port since December. All 11 vessels have now departed after being detained by Houthi forces, who had enforced a cargo unloading blockade following Israeli airstrikes on the port in April.

 

Source: Splash 247

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