It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, July 08, 2025
Three Seafarers Dead in Houthi Attack on Greek-Owned Bulker
Houthi patrol boats in the Red Sea (Fars News file image)
After repeated attacks by Houthi rebels, the bulker Eternity C has lost propulsion, and three members of her crew are dead, according to EUNAVFOR and maritime risk management consultancy Vanguard Tech.
The Eternity C was under way on a voyage from Berbera to Jeddah with a cargo of soy and 22 crewmembers aboard when it was attacked by armed militants in skiffs southwest of Hodeidah, the Yemeni port controlled by the Houthi rebel faction. On July 7, the vessel was attacked three times by as many as eight boats firing small arms and RPGs, resulting in three dead, two injured, significant engine room damage and loss of propulsion, EUNAVFOR Operation Aspides and Vanguard Tech reported.
Houthi boats returned for a fourth attack on July 8, and the incident is ongoing. The ship's lifeboats have reportedly been destroyed, leaving the crew unable to abandon ship. No warships are present in the vicinity to respond, and nearby good samaritans have been unable to assist because of the continued threat of an attack.
The deceased reportedly include the chief engineer, an oiler, and an engineering cadet, consistent with an attack on the engine room. One of the injured, an electrician, reportedly lost a leg.
A video circulating on maritime social media appears to provide VHF audio of Eternity C's distress call during the attack, including the crew's urgent request for medical assistance for the wounded.
Yemen's Houthi rebels have yet to claim responsibility for the attack on Eternity C, but the event occurred in a Houthi-dominated region and the group has claimed a nearly identical attack on the bulker Magic Seas last weekend.
"The recent period of relative calm may have led to a sense of reduced urgency across parts of the industry to carry out ownership affiliation checks," said Vanguard Tech head of intelligence Ellie Shafik. "However, the pause in Houthi activity did not necessarily indicate a change in underlying intent. As long as the conflict in Gaza persists, vessels with affiliations [with Israel] - both perceived and actual - will continue to face elevated risks."
Vanguard Tech noted that Eternity C's owner has multiple other ships that have called at Israeli ports, including Haifa, which is under a remote "blockade" by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Vanguard identified these vessels as the HSL Nike, which called Haifa last month, and Faith, which called at Ashdod in November. The Houthis have previously threatened to attack the interests of shipowners who have any vessels that call in Israel, and the group did not withdraw that threat after a partial ceasefire was agreed with the U.S. earlier this year.
The group has released a video of its earlier attack on the Magic Seas, and it shows that the vessel was boarded by militants after the crew abandoned ship. As in previous Houthi sinkings, it was mined with explosive charges in order to send it below. The vessel settled slowly in the water and sank on an even keel.
Houthis Release Video of the Sinking of the Magic Seas
Yemen's Houthi rebels have released video footage of the sinking of the bulker Magic Seas, which they attacked and boarded last weekend.
The footage begins with a single blast on Magic Seas' hull on the starboard side amidships, potentially one of the two unmanned bomb boats that reportedly reached the ship and detonated. Drone footage follows, showing black marks on both sides of the hull amidships from possible explosions.
In what may have been a staged performance, a carefully-filmed video of a boarding shows a team of four Houthi fighters running down the main deck and entering the wheelhouse, unopposed by crew or security contractors. (All crewmembers abandoned ship and were rescued by another passing vessel before the vessel's capture.) A choreographed display by three armed militants atop the deckhouse brings the boarding segment of the video to its conclusion.
As in previous attacks in which the militant group managed to seize control of the vessel, the militants placed multiple explosive charges to penetrate the hull. At least seven discernable blasts below the waterline occurred, followed by rapid flooding. The ship settled low without any sign of a list and foundered, meeting her end on an even keel.
The physical appearance of the ship in the Houthi footage validates previous crew videos (below), confirming their authenticity.
The Houthis did not stop their campaign with the attack on the Magic Seas. On Monday, they also launched a prolonged and concerted attack on the bulkerEternity C, killing three crewmembers and disabling the ship. The vessel's fate is unknown.
Video: Israeli Attack on Car Carrier Galaxy Leader Seized by Houthis
Israel struck the car carrier Galaxy Leader reporting the Houthis were using it to monitor shipping (IAF)
One of the targets now confirmed by the Israeli Air Force in its recent attack on the Houthis in Yemen was the car carrier Galaxy Leader. The Israelis reported the vessel was being used by the Houthis to monitor maritime traffic in the Red Sea area near Hodeidah.
The Israel Air Force released a video showing its strike on the vessel, which is anchored at the port of Al-Salif, one of the three ports targeted in the strikes on July 6. The announcement confirmed it was a deliberate attack on the 17,127 dwt car carrier, which has been detained since November 2023.
“IAF fighter jets strike & dismantle terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime at the port of Ras Isa, Yemen. Among the terror targets struck was the merchant ship Galaxy Leader,” the Air Force reported. While it did not report the damage to the vessel, the video shows two large explosions.
It was reportedly not the first attack on the vessel. The Houthis’ media outlets claimed the U.S. also targeted the vessel with two air strikes in March after it launched the campaign against the militants. That attack was unconfirmed.
The latest Israeli attack, which included the Galaxy Leader, came days before the Houthis resumed their attacks on merchant ships. While the militants had been threatening shipping associated with Israel, there had been no attacks in 2025. That changed on Sunday and again on Monday when they attacked two bulkers in the Red Sea.
The Galaxy Leader caught international attention in November 2023 when the Houthis staged a commando-style raid from the air to board and seize the car carrier. The vessel, which is managed by the UK-based Ray Car Carriers with Israeli investments, was directed to port. The crew was detained in Yemen for over a year despite repeated international pleas. The Houthis finally released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, and they were evacuated by the Omanis in January 2025.
The Israelis reported that the July 6 attack included approximately 20 fighter jets using over 50 munitions. They struck targets controlled by the Houthis in the ports of Al Hudaydah, Ras Isa, Salif, and the Ras Kanatib Power Plant.
Israel has repeatedly targeted the ports as they say they are being used to import arms and parts of the missile and drone programs. In May, the Israelis attacked port infrastructure, including destroying tugboats.
The Houthis had announced that ports in Hodeidah had returned to full operation as of July 1. There had been reports that the Houthis were refusing permission for ships to depart the port after the strikes began this spring. The Indian Directorate General of Shipping recently reported that it had facilitated the release of the last of the vessels in Ras Isa. It said 11 vessels with over 150 Indian seafarers had been in the port, but the last one departed on June 29.
Houthis Claim Bulker Sank After Yesterday’s Attack as Crew Reaches Safety
Magic Seas crew arriving in port after abandoning vessel (Djibouti Ports & Free Zones)
A spokesperson for the Houthi militants in Yemen issued a statement claiming that the Greek-owned bulker Magic Seas sank today in the Red Sea, less than 24 hours after it was attacked. They provided details on a coordinated and prolonged attack on the vessel as they promised to continue the blockade of all shipping associated with Israel.
There is no independent confirmation of the sinking of the Magic Seas (63,00 dwt) from international sources, but the Houthis claim to have audio and video of the sinking, which has not yet been released. In the past, the group has also prematurely claimed sinking ships.
The vessel was managed by Allseas Marine of Greece, which so far has not commented. The ship was built in 2016, and AIS signals show it had been in China and made a stop in Singapore. It was bound for the Suez Canal.
EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta issued a statement confirming the details of the evacuation of the crew. It said the vessel was 51 nautical miles southwest of Hudaydah, Yemen, and that it had coordinated the rescue of the 22 crew from the vessel. They abandon ship into a life raft and were picked up by a passing merchant vessel. Atalanta reports it coordinated with the Djibouti Coast Guard to ensure the crew’s disembarkation. The Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority reports rescued by the containership Safeen Prism brought the crew to Djibouti. The 22 seafarers saved including one Romanian, one Vietnamese, and twenty Filipino nationals.
The Houthis claimed to have used two unmanned boats, five ballistic missiles, and three drones in a coordinated and prolonged attack on the Magic Seas. The armed guards aboard the vessel reported gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades in the first assault and said they had returned fire. Ambrey is reporting that the guards were able to destroy two of the explosive-laden drone boats.
Atalanta confirmed there was a fire aboard the vessel, while the company told the UK Maritime Trade Operations that the vessel was taking on water when the crew abandoned ship. The Houthis in the past have been known to return to abandoned ships to hasten their sinking.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree took to social media to report the sinking, saying that they had warned the ship and that they “allowed” the crew to disembark. He said the attack was because the shipping company had sent three vessels into Israel, including one vessel last week.
The shipping community is on edge after the attack, which comes as Donald Trump has said Israel and Hamas are close to an agreement on a 60-day ceasefire. This was the first targeting of a commercial vessel in 2025, although the Houthis had targeted U.S. warships in the Red Sea this year. Companies including CMA CGM and MSC Mediterranean Shipping were reported in recent days to have sent some of their vessels back through the Red Sea, but traffic remains far below historic levels.
Atalanta is urging vessels to register with it so that it can provide the most efficient monitoring and response. It reports that the operation remains committed to “ensuring the protection of vulnerable vessels,” while its sister operation, Aspides, highlighted its latest close protection mission, including a CMA CGM containership on July 5. In June, Aspides said in 16 months of operation, it had supported more than 920 merchant vessels.
Oil Climbs 2% as Houthi Rebels Hit Second Greek Vessel in Red Sea
A Greek-operated bulk carrier was attacked in the Red Sea on Monday in the second Houthi strike on commercial shipping in less than 24 hours, stoking fears of a renewed escalation in one of the world’s most critical oil transit corridors, Arab and Israel media report.
The Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged vessel managed by Athens-based Cosmoship, was hit off Yemen’s Hodeidah coast using a combination of sea drones, rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms. Two seafarers were seriously injured and two more are missing, according to shipping intelligence sources cited by media. The vessel was reportedly en route to Iran with a cargo of steel.
The attack follows Sunday’s strike on the Magic Seas, another Greek-managed bulk carrier. Houthi militants claim the Magic Seas has sunk. That vessel was hit southwest of Hodeidah and its crew abandoned ship before rescue. Both ships are Liberia-flagged, and neither was carrying Israeli cargo, according to tracking data.
Shortly after the second attack, on Monday at 3:31 p.m. ET, Brent crude was trading up 2.08% at $69.72, while WTI was trading up 2.39% at $68.09.
Insurance premiums for vessels crossing the Bab el-Mandeb strait have already increased, with underwriters signaling more exclusions are likely in coming days.
The renewed Red Sea volatility comes as Axios reports that Israeli officials believe Donald Trump would authorize pre-emptive military action against Iran’s nuclear program if he returns to office. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to raise the issue during a closed-door dinner with Trump this week. Tehran has restarted centrifuge operations at key enrichment sites, setting off fresh alarm in Tel Aviv.
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