The Red Sea ship was struck by multiple attacks in a clear step in Houthi tactics

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The crew of a cargo ship owned by the Greeks forced to abandon the ship in the Red Sea on Sunday after the first Houthi -Houthi attack this year on a commercial ship.

If the Houthis’ work is confirmed, the attack on the magic seas, the dry, dry carrier owned by the charging of the stem in Greece, will be the first in a commercial ship since December by the group, supported by Iran.

Michael Podolo, CEO of STEM, told the Financial Times that the crew had left “terrified” by multiple waves of attacks, which began assaulting by men in Scotf and left the ship taking water.

“They did not know whether they were pirates or Houthis, but it was clear that they were Houthis because there was more and more, and there were missiles,” said Boduroglu.

Martin Kelly, president of the Consulting Company for the EOS Risk Group, said the attack was a “major transformation” by the Iranian -backed group, because it was the first in a long time and because of the size of the attack.

Pointing to the clear use of the zags, the unintended surface ships and the missiles launched from the drones, Kelly said: “They intended to sink this ship.”

Boduroglu said the ship was carrying a mixture of steel and fertilizers from China to Türkiye. He insisted that the current trip had no links with Israel – and the reason that the Houthis usually mentioned to attack ships – but he confessed to his ships, which are sometimes called Israeli ports.

Boduroglu said the missiles began fires to predict near the arc of the ship and in their second cellar. Fuel tanks were damaged and the engine room was hit, leaving it to take water.

He said that the crew was while giving up the ship, adding that the ship could drown.

“The good thing is that none of the crew was injured,” said Boduroglu.

The UK’s Maritime Trade Office later confirmed that the entire crew left the ship and was “awaiting help.” The office said the ship was 51 nautical miles southwest of Hudaida, the main port of the Houthis, at the time of the attack.

The Houthis did not demand responsibility immediately. However, no other group has installed similar attacks in the Red Sea in recent years.

The Houthis said they are attacking ships to support the Palestinians in Gaza. Their first attack – on the leader of Galaxy Carrier Carrier – was held in November 2023, shortly after Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023 on Israel.

The group stopped attacking commercial ships in the period before the start of the ceasefire in Gaza in January and has not been resumed since then, despite the collapse of that truce in March.

The group instead focused on the rockets repeatedly firing in targets in Israel, such as the country’s main airport.

In May President Donald Trump He said The United States will stop its campaign against the Houthis in response to the assurances of the Iranian -backed group that it will stop its attacks on ships.

Houthi attacks on commercial ships between November 2023 and December last year were sank two ships, rake To three others and killing At least four of the sailors. The attacks prompted many ship owners to redirect ships away from the Red Sea and the Suez Canal Sailing tour Good hope head.

Clarks, a marine information provider, said that crude oil tankers and products carriers began slowly returning to the Red Sea after this year in the attacks. However, the owners of container ships and some other types of ships continued to avoid the area.

Bodouroglou said he will re -evaluate whether he will go across the Red Sea on future trips in light of the magic seas attack.