The Eternity C was reportedly en route north toward the Suez Canal when it was targeted by bomb-carrying drones and small craft late on Monday, according to the EU’s anti-piracy naval mission, Operation Atalanta. The assault occurred near the same waters where the Houthis recently claimed to have sunk another merchant vessel.

The ship’s multinational crew consisted of 21 Filipinos, one Russian national, and three private security guards. Two sailors sustained injuries during the incident, and two more remain unaccounted for as of Tuesday. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre confirmed that the vessel “remains surrounded by small craft and is under continuous attack.”

Although the Houthis have yet to claim responsibility, the exiled Yemeni government and EU officials have directly blamed the group, which controls most of northern and western Yemen, including the capital Sana’a.

Pattern of Attacks Deepens Shipping Crisis

This latest strike closely follows the Houthis’ confirmed attack on the Magic Seas, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ship that was assaulted around 100 kilometers southwest of the port of Hodeida—an area under Houthi control. The crew was forced to abandon the vessel and were later rescued by an Abu Dhabi Ports ship. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree publicly declared responsibility and claimed the ship had been sunk.

The Red Sea—through which roughly $1 trillion in goods transit annually—has become a flashpoint since the start of the Gaza conflict in 2023. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis reportedly targeted over 100 merchant ships, sinking two and killing at least four sailors. The Trump administration, in response, launched a series of retaliatory airstrikes earlier this year but announced a halt to its operations in May, stating the Houthis had agreed to cease attacks on commercial vessels.

Despite this pause, maritime threats have continued. On July 7, Israeli airstrikes reportedly targeted Houthi positions in Yemen, to which the rebels responded with missile fire, further fueling instability in the region.