Six killed in Houthi attack on Egyptian vessel near Bab al-Mandeb

A cargo ship owned by an Egyptian company, the *Tihamah*, suffered a fatal incident in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, marking the first shipping-related deaths linked to Houthi attacks since the United States and Israel intensified their military posture against Iran. The vessel, en route from Yemen to the United Arab Emirates, was struck by a missile fired from Houthi-controlled territory in southern Yemen, resulting in the loss of three crew members. The incident was confirmed by the ship’s operators and the Yemeni maritime authorities.

The attack comes amid a broader escalation in the region, with the Houthis increasingly targeting commercial shipping as a response to the U.S. and Israel’s recent military actions against Iranian forces. Over the past year, Houthi forces have launched a series of missile and drone strikes against vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, prompting the International Maritime Organization to issue heightened security alerts. While the *Tihamah* incident is the first to involve fatalities, it follows earlier incidents where ships were damaged but crew survived, underscoring the growing risk to maritime commerce in the area.

The death toll has prompted calls from international shipping groups for enhanced protective measures and clearer communication from regional authorities. The United Nations has urged all parties to respect the safety of civilian vessels and to refrain from targeting commercial shipping. As tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran continue to flare, the incident may influence future maritime security protocols and the strategic calculations of both shipping companies and regional actors.