After one mariner is killed, Houthi attacks sink a second ship in the Red Sea.

Trade has been the focus of the Iran-backed rebel organization instead of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

TFD – The recent surge in Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea has led to a drastic 90% decrease in container shipments since December. This significant disruption impacts one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, with major implications for global trade and regional stability.

Authorities said early on Wednesday that a bulk carrier, the second of its kind to be sunk in the rebel campaign, had sunk days after an attack by Houthi rebels in Yemen that was thought to have killed one mariner on board.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, appear to be stepping up their campaign to target commerce through the crucial maritime corridor over the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, as seen by the sinking of the Tutor in the Red Sea.

The strike takes place in the midst of a months-long, American-led campaign in the area that has seen the Navy engage in its most intense maritime combat since World War II, with attacks on warships and commercial ships occurring almost every day.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center sent a warning to sailors in the area stating that the Greek-owned and operated Tutor, flying the Liberian flag, had sunk in the Red Sea.

The UKMTO stated, “Marine debris and oil sighted in the last reported location, according to military authorities.” It’s thought that the ship sank.

The Houthis did not notice the sinking right away. Additionally, the U.S. Navy failed to acknowledge the sinking right after and did not answer demands for comment.

About a week ago, a Houthi drone boat carrying bombs attacked the Tutor in the Red Sea. A spokesman for national security at the White House, John Kirby, stated on Monday that “a crew member who hailed from the Philippines” was killed in the incident. The man who was on board the Tutor has been missing for more than a week in the Red Sea, which experiences extreme summer temperatures, however the Philippines has not yet confirmed the death.

The use of an explosives-laden boat evoked memories of the USS Cole massacre in 2000, in which al-Qaida carried out a suicide attack on the warship while it was docked in Aden, killing seventeen people on board. Even though the rebels are still attacking, the Cole is currently a part of a U.S. Navy operation in the Red Sea headed by the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to attempt and stop the Houthi strikes.

Four sailors have been killed by the more than 50 attacks on ships that the Huuthis have carried out. The U.S. Maritime Administration reports that since November, they have detained one vessel and sunk two others. Since January, the Houthis have been the subject of an airstrike campaign spearheaded by the United States. According to the rebels, a series of strikes on May 30 left at least 16 dead and 42 wounded.

Following a rebel attack, the Rubymar, flying the flag of Belize, took on water for many days and eventually sank in the Red Sea in March, carrying a shipment of fertilizer.

The Houthis have persisted in attacking ships associated with the United States, the United Kingdom, or Israel. Nevertheless, there is little to no relationship between many of the ships they have attacked and the present Israel-Hamas conflict.

Over 37,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the Gaza conflict, and hundreds more have died as a result of Israeli actions in the West Bank. It started on October 7, when militants led by Hamas invaded Israel, killing over 1,200 people and kidnapping nearly 250 more.

According to a recent assessment by the US Defense Intelligence Agency, since December, the number of containers shipped through the Red Sea has decreased by 90% due to the attacks. That route is used by up to 15% of all marine traffic worldwide.