Overview
- British navy reporting body UK Maritime Trade Operations confirmed a cargo vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile off Mokha, Yemen, and Yemeni coastguard and government sources told Reuters that three crew members died.
- Yemeni officials and multiple maritime firms identified the ship as the Tanzania‑flagged Tihamah, which departed Salalah and was anchored near Perim Island when it was struck.
- Sources blamed Iran‑aligned Houthi forces for the attack but the Houthis have not publicly claimed responsibility and key details about ownership and casualty confirmations remain under verification.
- Maritime security companies issued advisories urging ships to sail with caution and report suspicious activity, while shipping-data firm Kpler said daily transits through the Bab el‑Mandeb have fallen from about 50 to roughly 32 since the Houthi maritime embargo was declared.
- If confirmed, these would be the first reported crew deaths from a Houthi strike on a vessel since the broader Iran‑US/Israel war began in February, a development that raises the risk of further disruption to a key global shipping route.