The increasing number of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden attacks on commercial vessels by Yemen’s Houthi rebels is a wake-up call to not just the global maritime industry but to commodity traders and macro observers due to the ongoing risks of supply shocks as one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints has been under threat for at least six months.

In recent weeks, Houthis launched a new kamikaze boat drone campaign, already sinking Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned-and-operated Tutor in the Red Sea last week. 

Over the weekend, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported two attacks. The first ship, Transworld Navigator, had been targeted in the Red Sea by what the Houthis describe as a boat drone, while the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said a “suspected uncrewed aerial system.”

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Transworld Navigator was targeted with an uncrewed surface boat.

“The first of which targeted the ship (TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR) with a drone boat for the second time in the Red Sea,” Saree said in a statement posted on X. 

بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عمليتين عسكريتين أولاهما استهدفت سفينة ( TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR ) بزورق مسير للمرة الثانية في البحر الأحمر، والأخرى استهدفت سفينة (STOLT SEQUOIA) بعدد من الصواريخ المجنحة في المحيط الهندي بتاريخ 23-06-2024م pic.twitter.com/LVJj9di55V

— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) June 23, 2024

Alleged video of the boat drone attack was posted on X by Saudi state-owned media outlet Al Arabiya early Monday morning. The video shows what appears to be a small craft packed with explosives heading towards the center point of the ship’s hull. The crew member filming the attack took cover, the video went black, then seconds later, a massive explosion was heard.

لحظة استهداف ميليشيا الحوثيين سفينة Transworld_Navigator في بحر العرب بطائرة مسيرة#العربية pic.twitter.com/nkomJzDblP

— العربية (@AlArabiya) June 24, 2024

UKMTO noted on Sunday that the second attack in the Gulf of Aden led the crew to “abandon the ship” because of “severe flooding that cannot be contained.” 

Houthi spokesperson Saree said, “Others targeted the ship (STOLT SEQUOIA) with a number of winged missiles in the Indian Ocean.” 

According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have launched over 50 attacks on vessels in the Middle East, endangering sailors and sinking two ships since November.

In response, the US and its allies have attempted to neutralize the Houthis by bombing radar sites and other critical military assets in Yemen. Despite these efforts, including the Biden administration’s Operation Prosperity Guardian, the move to ensure freedom of navigation has been deemed a failure.