Houthi Forces Sink Israeli-Linked Cargo Ship in Red Sea in First Major Attack of 2025

The footage, published by the Houthis’ “Military Media” on the platform X (formerly Twitter), shows the ship’s crew ignoring warnings and radio calls from the group’s naval forces before military action was taken.

The video includes scenes of the vessel being struck by unmanned drone boats, followed by a special forces assault, culminating in the complete submersion of the ship.

According to a statement accompanying the video, the attack — which took place Sunday before the ship fully sank on Monday — came in response to a violation by the ship’s Greek owner, Paragon Shipping, of a Houthi-imposed ban on entry into “the ports of occupied Palestine,” referring to Israel.

In an earlier statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the Magic Seas, operated by the Greek company Steam Shipping and sailing under the Liberian flag, had docked at Israeli ports three times in the past week, despite repeated warnings from the group’s naval forces.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates announced Monday that it had successfully rescued all 22 crew members aboard the vessel. The rescue was carried out by Sven Prism, a ship owned by Abu Dhabi Ports Group, which responded to a distress call following the Red Sea attack.

This marks the Houthis’ first maritime attack targeting shipping routes in 2025.

For several months, the Houthis have been launching attacks on Israeli ships, vessels connected to Israel, or ships heading to Israeli ports — actions they say are in support of Gaza amid what they call a genocidal war by Tel Aviv.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has carried out a genocidal campaign in Gaza marked by killings, starvation, destruction, and mass displacement, ignoring international appeals and defying orders from the International Court of Justice to stop.

The onslaught, backed by the U.S., has resulted in over 194,000 Palestinian casualties, including the dead and wounded — the majority of them women and children — with more than 10,000 missing, and widespread famine that has claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.