What to know as Houthis sink two ships in recent Red Sea escalation

In recent days, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated their assault on maritime vessels in the Red Sea, sinking two ships and killing several crew members in a dramatic surge of violence.

These attacks mark a renewed phase in the rebels’ broader offensive against maritime trade amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

They also occur against the backdrop of Yemen’s prolonged civil war — now nearly a decade old — with no resolution in sight for the Arab world’s poorest nation.

Here’s a closer look at the Houthis, Yemen, and their ongoing maritime campaign.

Rebels entrenched in a long civil war

The Houthis belong to the Zaydi sect of Shiite Islam, which once governed Yemen for a millennium (1,000 years) until 1962.

After years of fighting with the Yemeni state, they descended from their northern base in 2014 to capture the capital, Sanaa, sparking a war that continues today.

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A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015, aiming to restore the internationally recognised Yemeni government in exile.

What followed was years of relentless and inconclusive fighting, evolving into a proxy conflict between regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The result has been widespread devastation — with over 150,000 people, both civilians and combatants, killed — and one of the globe’s worst humanitarian crises, claiming tens of thousands more lives due to famine and disease.

Although a truce officially expired in October 2022, it has largely held.

There have been prisoner exchanges between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, and in September 2023, Houthi representatives took part in high-level negotiations in Riyadh, part of Saudi Arabia’s broader diplomatic thaw with Iran.

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While those talks yielded “positive results,” no permanent peace agreement has emerged.

Iranian backing and rising influence

Iran has been a longstanding supporter of the Houthis. Though Tehran denies supplying them with weapons, mounting physical evidence, intercepted shipments and expert assessments link Iranian arms to the rebels.

This is likely due to Iran’s attempt to avoid penalties tied to a United Nations arms embargo.

Among Iran’s allies in its so-called “Axis of Resistance,” the Houthis have now emerged as the most potent force.

Groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian organisation Hamas have suffered heavy losses at Israel’s hands since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the ongoing war in Gaza.

Iran itself is grappling with the aftermath of a 12-day conflict with Israel and American strikes on its nuclear infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have gained regional prominence by directly targeting Israel — a stance that resonates with large segments of the Arab world outraged by the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

A maritime offensive tied to Gaza

The Houthis have launched waves of drone and missile attacks against both commercial and military vessels, framing their actions as solidarity with Gaza and an effort to halt Israel’s campaign against Hamas.

Between November 2023 and December 2024, the group targeted over 100 merchant ships using aerial drones and missiles, sinking two and killing four sailors.

Their operations have severely disrupted the Red Sea’s commercial artery, a route through which approximately $1 trillion in goods travels annually.

The most recent attack before this new wave came in early December, aimed at US naval escorts of merchant vessels. When the Israel-Hamas truce began in January and lasted until March, the US retaliated with an extensive military campaign against the Houthis.

That offensive ended when US President Donald Trump announced the rebels had promised to cease maritime attacks.

Since then, the Houthis had continued sporadic missile launches toward Israel but had not targeted ships — until now. Red Sea shipping traffic, though still below usual levels, had been gradually picking up.

New assaults show greater sophistication

The recent strikes on the Magic Seas and the Eternity C signal a significant escalation in Houthi operations. Analysts have characterised these incidents as coordinated, multi-pronged assaults.

In both cases, armed rebels first approached the targeted vessels using small boats, firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Subsequently, they deployed anti-ship missiles along with aerial and seaborne drones laden with explosives.

This orchestrated series of attacks resulted in the sinking of two ships in just a few days — doubling the Houthis’ record of destroyed vessels.

There is growing concern that the strike on the Eternity C could be their deadliest naval attack, as multiple crew members remain unaccounted for.

The attacks indicate that neither Israeli nor US airstrikes have succeeded in neutralising the Houthis’ capacity for such operations.

Vulnerability of commercial vessels

Compared to military ships, commercial cargo vessels are significantly more exposed. Most lack air defence systems and carry only small security teams, typically just three guards, to deter piracy rather than missile or drone strikes.

These guards may use fire hoses or lay out cyclone wire to repel boarders from small boats.

However, they are ill-equipped to counter the kind of complex, multi-directional threats now posed by the Houthis — especially considering the rebels’ experience in helicopter insertions and other advanced tactics.

Neutralising drones is a major challenge and commercial vessels lack the firepower to intercept incoming missiles.

Domestic motives and regional messaging

According to the Houthis, their renewed maritime offensive “represents a qualitative shift in the course of the open battle in support of Gaza.”

Their SABA news agency added that Israel conducts “daily massacres against civilians in Gaza and relies on sea lanes to finance its aggression and maintain its siege.”

“This stance, which is not content with condemnation or statements, is also advancing with direct military action, in a clear effort to support the Palestinians on various fronts,” the group stated.

Yet despite their rhetoric, the Houthis suspended maritime strikes in late December after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas. Though they warned that vessels connected to Israeli ports would remain at risk, their operations largely paused.

Following US airstrikes, the rebels may have rebuilt their forces. While they haven’t confirmed the extent of their losses, Washington has claimed it used over 2,000 munitions against more than 1,000 targets.

Strategically, the renewed attacks may serve both international and domestic goals. Regionally, discussions about a new Israel-Hamas ceasefire and future US-Iran nuclear negotiations are underway.

Historically, Iran has used the Houthis as a pressure tool, though analysts remain divided on how much direct control Tehran has over their targeting decisions.

Domestically, the Houthis face internal unrest, as Yemen’s economic collapse and their detention of UN officials and aid workers have drawn criticism.

By resuming military operations, the group may aim to solidify internal support and reassert control in the areas they govern.

With inputs from AP