US says Houthis kidnapped survivors of fatal Red Sea ship attack

State Department demands the safe return of 15 missing crew after the Houthis struck and sank the Liberian-flagged Eternity C near Yemen.

By David Brummer, World Israel News

The United States Mission to Yemen accused Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Wednesday of kidnapping crew members who survived the deadly attack on the cargo ship Eternity C earlier this week.

The vessel, which sank Wednesday morning, had been sailing under a Liberian flag and was operated by a Greek company.

“We call for their immediate and unconditional safe release,” the US mission said in a statement.

“The Houthis continue to show the world why the United States was right to label them a terrorist organization.”

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The Eternity C was targeted on Monday in the Red Sea near the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that multiple small boats approached the vessel and fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) during the attack.

Four of the 25 people onboard were killed. Six crew members were rescued from the water more than a day later. Fifteen remain missing.

The Houthi group claimed they had pulled survivors from the sea and transported them to a “safe location,” but US officials say they were abducted.

A source from the EU’s Aspides naval mission told Reuters that two others were wounded.

The crew included 21 Filipinos and one Russian, along with three armed guards—one Indian and one Greek.

The Eternity C attack marked the first fatal Houthi strike on commercial shipping in over a year.

It was the second such incident in just two days. On Sunday, the rebels also hit the Magic Seas, another Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo ship in roughly the same area.

The Magic Seas sank after its crew was evacuated.

The Houthis released a propaganda video on Tuesday showing the Magic Seas attack.

The clip included footage of drones, RPGs, and armed militants storming the vessel, followed by a large explosion and scenes of the crew abandoning ship.

According to Houthi media, both vessels were targeted for ties to Israeli ports, specifically Eilat.

The group has vowed to enforce a ban on shipping companies they claim are linked to Israel.

These strikes have broken a two-month lull in Houthi maritime assaults.

Since November 2023, the rebels—who are backed by Iran—have carried out over 100 attacks on commercial vessels.

They say the campaign is meant to pressure Israel over its war with Hamas in Gaza.

In May, President Donald Trump said he had ordered a pause in US airstrikes on Houthi targets, citing a signal from the group that it did not want to continue the fight.

While the Houthis only promised to stop attacking American ships, all maritime assaults had stopped since April—until this week.

With 15 crew members missing and the death toll from Houthi ship attacks now at eight since late 2023, concern is growing over a possible escalation.

The US State Department said the Houthis’ actions underscore the threat they pose to regional security and international shipping.