Red Sea: Suspected Sinking of Ship Following Houthi Rebel Assault
The MV Tutor is believed to be the second ship sunk by Houthis since March, following the destruction of the British-registered vessel Rubymar, which was hit by ballistic missiles originating from Houthi territory in Yemen.
Since Israel's invasion of Gaza in response to the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, rebels have orchestrated numerous missile and drone attacks against ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. This escalation of tensions has sparked strong criticism from key regional players towards the humanitarian crisis caused by over eight months of Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Israel initiated its military action in October, after militants led by Hamas, who govern Gaza, were responsible for the deaths of at least 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250 more.
Restrictions on Palestinians in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 37,396 people and injuries to another 85,523, as reported by the Ministry of Health there.
Initial reports suggest that the Tutor was initially struck by a smaller boat and later hit by an unknown airborne projectile on June 12, according to UKMTO. Following the incident, one crew member went missing, as stated by US Central Command (CENTCOM) last week.
Once the Tutor's crew was evacuated from the vessel, it began to drift and ultimately sank on Tuesday, according to UKMTO.
A Houthi spokesperson asserted that the ship was targeted by a sea drone, ballistic missiles, and other drones for violating their alleged "ban on occupied Palestinian ports."
Houthi-controlled news outlet Al Masirah acknowledged foreign media reports regarding the sinking on Tuesday.
In the meantime, CENTCOM declared on X that "The Houthis claim to act in the name of Palestinians in Gaza, yet they are endangering and threatening the lives of third-party nationals who have no connection to the conflict in Gaza. The continuous threat to international commerce posed by the Houthis actually makes it more challenging to provide aid to the people of Yemen and Gaza."
Earlier this month, CENTCOM utilized attacks on Houthi radars to disrupt the group's continuous assaults on ships in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command.
CNN's Ibrahim Dahman provided additional reporting.
Read also:
The recent sinking of the MV Tutor in the Red Sea adds to the ongoing tensions between regional players and the Houthis, who have been targeting ships in the region due to perceived violations of their alleged ban on occupied Palestinian ports in the Middle East.
Given the escalating attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the international community has expressed concern over the impact of these tensions on commercial navigation and humanitarian aid efforts in the Middle East.
