Yemeni Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi has said that no company could be permitted to transport goods related to Israel through designated areas at sea.
A Houthi ban on navigation the group sees as associated with Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea would remain in place, he reiterated yesterday.
Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea yesterday, maritime security sources said, a day after the Houthis sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.
It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen’s coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world.
Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack. The Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C’s complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said.
“Seafarers should be able to work safely at sea. Instead, they are being unfairly forced into the firing line.”
Eternity C was first hit on Monday with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats. Four people are believed to have been killed in the attacks, maritime security sources say. If confirmed, the deaths would be the first fatalities in the area since June 2024.
Following a second attack on Tuesday morning, the crew were forced to jump into the water. Rescuers have been searching for survivors since Wednesday morning. The vessel’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The US’ Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and has called for their immediate, unconditional release.
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