The Iranian-backed Houthis released a video on July 28 showing ten members of the crew of a ship they sunk. They kidnapped the crew after sinking the ETERNITY C in the Red Sea.
The ETERNITY C was a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier. It was one of two ships the Houthis attacked in early July. This came after many months where the Houthis had stopped attacking ships.
The US had carried out airstrikes on the Houthis in mid-March but then chose to end the attacks in April. The Houthis have claimed they are attacking ships that are linked to Israel.
The Houthis' decision to kidnap the crew of the ship is a new phenomenon. The last time the kidnapped crew was the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a ship they hijacked and towed to Yemen in November 2023. Usually the Houthi model was to attack and harass ships but not try to kidnap the crew.
The ETERNITY C was attacked and it does not seem other navies rendered aid. Instead the Houthis showed they control the Red Sea. It is not clear if the US, UK or other navies will stop the Houthi attacks.
Recently a ship transferring arms to the Houthis was interdicted, illustrating that some countries appear to be working with the Yemen government to stymie the Houthis. The Houthis are technically a rebel group that controls a third of Yemen, primarily mountain areas.
The website Safety4Sea noted regarding the video, that “the ten individuals are among the twelve crew members who were initially reported missing or believed to be held hostage by the Houthis.” The Houthis paraded the captured crew and appear to have had them say that the Houthis “saved” them.
“The video shows the crew being rescued from the sea at night, along with the footage of them currently in Houthi custody. The crew members are seen stating that they were unaware of the Houthi-imposed maritime ban on sailing to Israeli ports. One sailor is seen making a phone call home, while others are shown giving statements.”
The Houthis are clearly trying to show they are. not deterred and will continue attacks in the Red Sea. They have threatened to escalate the attacks. They claim to be backing Gaza and supporting Palestinians. They began attacks soon after the Hamas attack on October 7.
Safety4Sea noted that “four Filipino crew members are believed to have died in the attack and the appearance of only ten men in the video raises questions about the fate of the eleventh crew member the Houthis claim to have rescued.”
The Houthis claimed that the ship was heading for Eilat
The Houthis claimed in the video that the ship was heading for Eilat, which the Houthis call “Umm al-Rashrash in occupied Palestine.”
The Houthis claimed that “recordings of the ship’s crew confirmed its violation of the maritime navigation ban on the ports of occupied Palestine, affirming that Umm al-Rashrash port was the ship’s destination from Berbera port in Somalia, and that Jeddah port in Saudi Arabia was a destination for deception and resupply purposes.”
The Houthis noted that they are calling on “all ship-owning and operating companies, the maritime community, and the public not to deal with the Zionist entity, regardless of the offers, to ensure the safety of their ships and crews.” The Houthis also called on ships to keep their Automatic identification system (AIS) working as they transit the area. This enables trips to be tracked via a receiver. This would seem to make it easier for Houthis to find and locate ships.
The main message of the Houthi video is that they are not deterred. Israel has carried out several rounds of attacks on the Houthis, but this has apparently not stopped the attacks. The Houthis also continue to launch ballistic missiles at Israel. It is not clear what the never level of escalation by the Houthis may consist of.