Houthis strike second cargo ship in a week in Red Sea escalation

Tensions in the Red Sea surged again this weekend as Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a fresh assault on commercial shipping, targeting a Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo vessel named Magic Seas.

According to a report by the BBC, the militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that the ship was affiliated with a company that had “violated the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine,” a reference to Israeli ports.

The strike executed using drones and missiles is the second such assault in the vital shipping corridor within a week. The escalation underscores the Houthis’ continued campaign against vessels they associate with Israel or its allies, a tactic that has disrupted international trade routes and heightened regional security concerns.

No immediate reports of casualties or major damage were released, and further details regarding the ship's condition or crew status remain unclear.

The Houthis, backed by Iran, have increasingly targeted Red Sea shipping since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, aiming to pressure global actors and signal defiance against Western-aligned maritime interests. The attacks have drawn international condemnation and prompted naval deployments from the US and its allies to safeguard the critical waterway.