The Red Sea a major artery for international commerce has again become a point of contention in the Middle East war, as Yemeni troops sank the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C on July 9, 2025. The fatal confrontation, which came on the heels of a reported drone and speedboat attack a day prior, represents a sharp increase in hostilities in the region. There are a minimum of two crew members confirmed dead, the first mariner fatalities in the area since June 2024, according to The Guardian.
This assault raises instant concerns about sea safety, especially since trade shipping companies, already being wary of getting too close to the region, now have to weather new risk assessments. Although no official declaration of responsibility was made, suspicion quickly fell on Houthi rebels, whose record of Red Sea provocations started in November 2023. Their alignment with Iran and their antipathy toward ships with allegiance to Israel, the U.S., and Western countries have made them a powerful non-state sea threat.
Ansar Allah, the official name of the Houthi movement, has increasingly found itself in favor of employing maritime attacks as part of its asymmetric warfare strategy in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Their goal: apply pressure on international players and retaliate against perceived Israeli and Western support to the Saudi coalition for Yemen’s civil war.
They seized the Galaxy Leader, an Israeli-interest cargo ship, in November 2023 and took its crew members into custody. That action represented a shift from political maneuvering to open, intentional naval action. Since then, the Global Conflict Tracker and several maritime security firms have documented over 50 cases of missile attacks, drones, or fast boats employed against civilian shipping lanes.
This trend is followed by the attack on Eternity C, 50 nautical miles south-west of Hodeidah. Although not officially claimed by the Houthis, suicide speedboats with explosives and drones are consistent with tactics previously used. EU Operation Aspides statistics demonstrate that this was one of the most sophisticated naval attacks in the recent months.
The Red Sea is an international trade lifeline, with over 12% of the world’s trade passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. Constrictions there resonate supply chains from Europe to Asia and beyond.
Following intense naval patrols and countermeasures by the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, there had seemed to be a return of peace over the Red Sea through late 2024. The Eternity C incident has shattered that illusion, however, transmitting the message that Houthi threats remain strong and capable of readjusting.
“The attack undermines the narrative of a stabilized shipping lane,” said a senior analyst at the International Maritime Bureau. “It proves the Houthis have intent and capability to attack with lethal precision.”
The cargo vessel carried construction supplies and had a mixed crew of Filipino, Indian, and Ukrainian nationals, according to initial shipping manifests. Two people have been reported dead, with at least three others missing or injured. Rescue efforts were hindered by rough seas and ongoing aerial attacks in the vicinity.
The assault drew speedy condemnation from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and calls for greater coordination between navies worldwide who cruise the region. Certain shipping firms, including Maersk and CMA CGM, went into temporary rerouting of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, avoiding the Suez Canal altogether.
The timing of this attack is not coincidental. It comes in the middle of the escalating regional tensions during persistent Gaza war, chronic Iran-Israel proxy combat, and renewed Saudi-Houthi ceasefire negotiations that have broken down primarily. The Houthis are trying to restore leverage and profile locally and as part of Iran’s broader regional strategy, experts view.
The sinking of Eternity C is a strategic military victory and a psychological loss for confidence in international shipping,” said security analyst Dr. Lena Hossain of the Middle East Institute. “It reminds the world that the Houthis can still exert a very meaningful influence far beyond Yemen.”
The sinking of the Eternity C will likely have the consequence of ratcheting up calls for a multilateral naval task force with tougher rules of engagement, or even pre-emptive strikes against drone bases in northern Yemen. But that carries risks as well most notably, further entangling international powers in Yemen’s prolonged and multifaceted war.
In the meantime, insurers are revising risk premiums and shipowners are scrambling to rethink Red Sea shipping routes. The attack is a sobering reminder that in the age of high-tech surveillance and naval patrols, asymmetric maritime threats remain horribly powerful.
Timeline of Key Events and some others
Nov 19, 2023: Houthis hijack Galaxy Leader, taking 25 crew.
Feb 2024 – May 2024: String of drone and missile attacks on merchant ships; no fatalities.
June 2024: Latest reported ship death prior to Eternity C.
July 8, 2025: Attack on Eternity C by speedboat and drone.
July 9, 2025: Sinking of Eternity C; two dead, multiple injured or missing.
The sinking of the Eternity C is not just another incident in the Yemeni civil warit’s a wake up call. As Houthis become more sophisticated and increase their naval activities, the world must confront the dual task of protecting vital shipping routes without getting entangled in an involved war any further. For now, the Red Sea is as perilous as ever where any ship that departs could sail into the crosshairs of war.
Red Sea Horror: Bulk Carrier Eternity C Sunk by Yemeni Forces
