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The attack on the Greek-owned Eternity C follows the
Iranian-backed Houthis attacking another vessel, the bulk
carrier Magic Seas, on Sunday in the Red Sea, which they
subsequently sank. The assaults are the first Houthi attacks on
shipping since late 2024 in the waterway that had begun to see
more ships pass through in recent weeks.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the
British military, said in an advisory that “search and rescue
operations commenced overnight” for those who had been aboard
the Eternity C. Five crew members so far had been rescued, the
UKMTO said.
The ship's status could not be immediately confirmed, though it
had sustained “significant damage” and had lost all propulsion.
The bulk carrier had been heading north toward the Suez Canal
when it came under fire by men in small boats and bomb-carrying
drones Monday night. The security guards on board fired their
weapons. The European Union’s Operation Aspides and the private
security firm Ambrey both reported those details.
While the Houthis haven’t claimed the attack — they can take
days to do so— Yemen’s exiled government and the EU force blamed
the rebels, as did the U.S. State Department.
“These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed
Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional
economic and maritime security,” State Department spokesperson
Tammy Bruce said. “The United States has been clear: We will
continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of
navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist
attacks.”
The EU force offered the casualty information, saying one of the
wounded crew lost his leg. The crew remains stuck on board the
vessel, which is now drifting in the Red Sea.
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