3 crew members killed in attack on commercial ship near Red Sea gateway: report

Three crew members were killed on Tuesday after Yemen's Houthi group attacked a commercial vessel in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Yemen's state-run Al-Jumhuriya TV.

The broadcaster said preliminary information identified two of the dead as Pakistani nationals and one as Indonesian. It did not name the vessel or its owner.

What happened in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait attack?

The Houthis launched a ballistic missile from an area east of Taiz towards a commercial ship passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Al Arabiya reported separately.

The strike killed three crew members aboard the vessel. The Houthis had not issued any comment on the reported attack at the time of reporting.

Why is the Bab al-Mandeb Strait significant?

The Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, making it one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

It sits on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz, another critical global shipping chokepoint. Disruptions here carry consequences for international trade far beyond the region.

Why have Houthi attacks on shipping increased?

The reported attack follows a maritime blockade the Houthis imposed on July 20, banning vessels linked to Saudi Arabia from passing through the strait. Saudi-linked ships transiting the waterway have faced repeated attacks since the blockade began, according to media reports.

The group also said on Sunday it had targeted Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery, two days after Saudi Arabia signed a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan.

That pact followed heightened regional tensions after the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry confirmed a fire broke out at the Jazan refinery but was extinguished with no injuries reported, and it gave no cause for the blaze.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the defense agreement with Saudi Arabia was not aimed at Iran or any other country, describing it as a broader regional security commitment.