Recent Attacks in the Red Sea Region

After months of relative calm, the situation in the Red Sea region has severely worsened over the past week. Multiple ships have been attacked by the Houthis, resulting in fatal casualties among the seafarers. The cargo ship Magic Seas was sunk, and the ship Eternity C has also perished. Several seafarers are still missing.

The Houthis claim that they have "saved" these missing crew members and brought them to a "safe location". Internationally, there are serious concerns about the fate of the missing crew members. The prolonged captivity (430 days!) of the crew of the Galaxy Leader is still fresh in memory.

For Dutch shipowners, the safety of the crew is always the highest priority and therefore no risks are taken. ‘"Dutch ships are currently not sailing there, partly on the advice of the flag, and this is partly due to the fact that when you sail under the Dutch flag, you do not have security on board, not that security necessarily helps against drones and missile attacks." says Annet Koster.

The cargo ship Magic Seas was sailing under the Liberian flag and was attacked by the Houthis on July 6, 2025, approximately 51 nautical miles from Al Hudayah, Yemen. The ship was attacked with unmanned service vessels and several missiles. After evacuation, the crew was rescued by another merchant ship. The evacuated ship was subsequently deliberately sunk by the Houthis.

The cargo ship Eternity C was sailing under the Liberian flag and was attacked by the Houthis on July 7. Drones, fast-moving skiffs, and RPGs were deployed in the attack. Several Filipino seafarers were injured or killd and some have been missing since the attack. Likely abducted by the Houthis.

The professionalism and intensity of these attacks are increasing, causing great concerns within the international maritime industry. Since late 2023, the Houthis have been carrying out attacks on ships, allegedly in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. The recent escalation makes it clear that international shipping is increasingly seen as a pawn in geopolitical conflicts, with major implications for global trade and, of course, crew safety.

The Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR), together with the international shipping community calls on the European Union to take joint action and ensure a structural solution. Only through international collaboration and the expansion of existing protection missions, such as operation Aspides, can safety at sea be guaranteed. It remains unacceptable for international shipping to be used as a geopolitical tool by malicious parties.