In brief
The Houthi militia in Yemen has attacked the cargo ship Eternity C, taking crew members hostage and killing two. With claims the vessel was headed to Israel, the U.S. calls for the crew's immediate release as regional tensions rise.
Yemen’s Houthi militia has escalated tensions in the Red Sea by attacking the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Eternity C and taking several crew members hostage, as reported by the U.S. Mission to Yemen on Wednesday. The embassy issued a call for the “immediate and unconditional safe release” of those taken, highlighting the grave implications this incident has for global shipping routes.The attack, which occurred on Monday, led to the deaths of at least two crew members, according to Liberian officials addressing a United Nations meeting. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya al-Sarea insisted the group targeted the ship using cruise and ballistic missiles as it was allegedly heading to an Israeli port, a claim that remains unverified by independent sources. Following the assault, al-Sarea stated that the Houthis provided medical care to a number of rescued crew members and transported them to a "safe location," though further details regarding their whereabouts or expected release were not disclosed. This incident echoes a similar situation from 2023, where the Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader vessel and held its crew hostage for over a year.Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, avoided commenting on the specific attack but expressed concern for the safety of sailors, emphasizing a complex narrative amidst the rising maritime conflicts in the region.
