As part of the Red Sea crisis, Houthi attacks on commercial vessels have occurred in the Red Sea.
Timeline
List
+ Attacks on commercial vessels # Date Vessel attacked Agent Result Name Flag 1 19 November 2023 Galaxy Leader Houthi Mil Mi-17 helicopter 2 24 November 2023 CMA CGM Symi Iran (Alleged) 3 26 November 2023 Central Park Houthi crew 4 3 December 2023 Number 9 Houthi ballistic missile 5 Sophie II Houthi ballistic missile 6 Unity Explorer Houthi ballistic missile 7 12 December 2023 Strinda Houthi missile 8 13 December 2023 Ardmore Encounter Houthi drones 9 14 December 2023 Maersk Gibraltar Houthi missile 10 15 December 2023 MSC Alanya Houthi naval missile 11 MSC Palatium III Houthi Naval missile 12 Al-Jasrah Houthi projectile 13 18 December 2023 MSC Clara Houthi drones 14 Swan Atlantic Houthi drones 15 26 December 2023 MSC United VIII Houthi naval missile 16 30 December 2023 Maersk Hangzhou Houthi land-based missile 17 31 December 2023 Maersk Hangzhou Houthi crew 18 12 January 2024 Khalissa Houthi projectile 19 15 January 2024 Gibraltar Eagle Houthi anti-ship missile 20 16 January 2024 Zografia Ballistic missile 21 17 January 2024 Genco Picardy Houthi drone 22 18 January 2024 Chem Ranger Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile 23 22 January 2024 Ocean Jazz Houthis 24 24 January 2024 Maersk Detroit Houthi missile 25 Maersk Chesapeake Houthi missile 26 26 January 2024 Marlin Luanda Houthi missile 27 30 January 2024 Koi Houthi naval missiles 28 6 February 2024 Morning Tide Houthis 29 Star Nasia Houthis 30 12 February 2024 Star Iris Houthi missiles 31 16 February 2024 Pollux Houthi missile 32 18 February 2024 Rubymar Houthi anti-ship missile 33 19 February 2024 Sea Champion Houthi naval missiles 34 Navis Fortuna Houthi naval missile 35 22 February 2024 Islander Houthi missile 36 6 March 2024 True Confidence Houthi anti-ship missile 37 8 March 2024 Propel Fortune Houthi anti-ship missiles 38 24 March 2024 Huang Pu Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile 39 7 April 2024 Hope Island Houthis 40 MSC Grace Houthis 41 MSC Gina Houthis 42 9 April 2024 Maersk Yorktown Houthi anti-ship missile 43 MSC Gina Houthis 44 MSC Darwin VI Houthis 45 24 April 2024 Maersk Yorktown Houthi missile 46 MSC Veracruz Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile 47 26 April 2024 Andromeda Star Houthi missiles 48 Maisha Houthi missile 49 29 April 2024 Cyclades Houthi missiles and UAVs 50 MSC Orion Houthi drones 51 18 May 2024 Wind Houthi missiles 52 23 May 2024 Yannis Houthi missiles 53 Essex Houthi missiles 54 28 May 2024 Laax Houthi missiles 55 1 June 2024 Abliani Houthi drones and rockets 56 Maina Houthi anti-ballistic missiles and armed drones 57 Al Oraiq Houthi anti-ballistic missiles and armed drones 58 8–9 June 2024 Norderney Houthi missiles 59 8 June 2024 MSC Tavivshi Houthi ballistic missile 60 9 June 2024 Unknown Unknown Houthi ballistic missile 61 12 June 2024 Tutor Houthi Toufan-1 USV, ballistic missiles, drones 62 13 June 2024 Verbena Houthi cruise missiles 63 Unknown Unknown Unknown Houthi weapons 64 16 June 2024 Unknown Unknown Unknown 65 21 June 2024 Transworld Navigator Houthi ballistic missiles 66 23 June 2024 Transworld Navigator Houthi USV 67 24 June 2024 MSC Sarah V Houthi Hatem 2 hypersonic missile 68 26 June 2024 Unknown Unknown Houthi missile 69 27 June 2024 Unknown Unknown Likely Houthi USV 70 28 June 2024 Delonix Houthi ballistic missiles 71 9 July 2024 Maersk Sentosa Houthi missiles 72 10 July 2024 Mount Fuji Likely Houthi weapons 73 11 July 2024 Unknown Unknown Likely Houthi missiles 74 15 July 2024 Bentley I Houthi USV, patrol boats, ballistic missiles 75 Chios Lion Houthi USV 76 19 July 2024 Lobivia Houthi ballistic missiles, UAVs 77 20 July 2024 Pumba Houthi UAVs, USV 78 3 August 2024 Groton Houthi ballistic missiles 79 8–9 August 2024 Delta Blue Houthi RPG, USV, missiles 80 13 August 2024 Delta Atlantica Likely Houthi USV, other weapons 81 On Phoenix Likely Houthi weapons 82 21–22 August 2024 Sounion Houthi boats, USV, other weapons 83 SW North Wind I Houthi USV, other weapons 84 30 August 2024 Groton Houthi missiles 85 2 September 2024 Blue Lagoon I Houthi ballistic missiles 86 1 October 2024 Cordelia Moon Houthi missiles, USV 87 1 October 2024 Minoan Courage Houthi missile 88 10 October 2024 Olympic Spirit Houthi ballistic missiles, drones 89 29 October 2024 Motaro Houthi weapons 90 19 November 2024 Anadolu S Houthi missiles 91 6 July 2025 Magic Seas Houthi gunfire, RPGs, USVs 92 7–8 July 2025 Eternity C Houthi UAVs, RPGs, USVs 9331 August 2025Scarlet RayHouthi missile 942 September 2025MSC AbyHouthi drones, missile954 September 2025UnknownUnknownUnknown projectile9623 September 2025MinervagrachtUnknown projectile9729 September 2025Houthi cruise missile9822 July 2026EnceliaHouthi missiles and drones9922 July 2026LaylaHouthi missiles and drones10024 July 2026NCC MasaUnknown projectile10128 July 2026NCC GhazalHouthi anti-ship missiles1024 August 2026Faize Noore OliyaUSV1035 August 2026NCC WafaHouthi ballistic missiles1045 August 2026DaisyHouthi ballistic missile10511 August 2026TihamahHouthi ballistic missiles
First and second phases (November – December 2023)
On 19 November 2023, Houthi forces used a Mil Mi-17 helicopter to board and seize the car transporter , which was en route to India with 25 people but no cargo on board. The incident followed a statement by Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree on the group's Telegram channel, declaring their intention to target ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or carrying the Israeli flag. According to the ship's owner, the vessel was then moved to the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. Sarea also urged countries to remove their citizens from crews of such ships. Earlier, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had threatened further attacks against Israeli interests, including potential targets in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. His speech emphasized the group's capability to monitor and target Israeli ships in these regions.
On 24 November, Iran allegedly attacked , a Malta-flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean A drone was shot down over the Red Sea by an IDF fighter jet.
On 26 November, the Liberian-flagged , an oil tanker managed by Zodiac Maritime, was seized off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. It carried a full cargo of phosphoric acid with 22 crew members consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The destroyer , along with a partner country in the multilateral anti-piracy operation CTF 151, conducted a visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operation that facilitated the release of the Central Park and captured the hijackers on the ship following their attempted escape. The ship's crew was unharmed. The US military reported that in the early morning hours of the following day, two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of the Mason and the Central Park from Houthi territory in Yemen and ended up in the Gulf of Aden. The five hijackers, all suspected Somali pirates, were detained by the US Navy.
On 3 December, the United States Navy reportedly shot down three attack drones launched from Yemen that were approaching the ship. After shooting down the drones, the ship responded to a distress call by three commercial ships in the area (the Unity Explorer, Number 9 and Sophie II) which were under attack by ballistic missiles launched from Yemen.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated that one merchant vessel was hit by a missile and another by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, without mentioning a warship. A Pentagon source said that the attacks on Carney caused no injuries or damage.
Third phase (December 2023 – May 2024) On 9 December 2023, the Houthis vowed to target any vessel en route to Israeli ports, entering the third phase of the crisis. Following the announcement, the frequency of attacks around the Bab-el-Mandeb increased.
On 12 December, the Houthis launched an anti-ship cruise missile attack against the Norwegian commercial ship Strinda, an oil and chemical tanker operated by the J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi company, while it was close to the Bab-el-Mandeb. The Strinda was on its way from Malaysia to Italy (via the Suez Canal). The attack caused a fire aboard the ship; no crew members were injured. The ship was carrying cargo of palm oil. The French Armed Forces Ministry and US Department of Defense reported that the Languedoc shot down a drone targeted at the Strinda, and USS Mason also rendered aid. The Houthi attack on the Strinda was an expansion of its series of attacks against maritime shipping in the strait; the Houthis began to attack commercial vessels without any discernible tie to Israel.
On 13 December, Houthi rebels attempted to board the Ardmore Encounter, a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker coming from Mangaluru, India and en route to either Rotterdam, Netherlands or Gävle, Sweden, but failed, prompting a distress call from the ship. They then targeted the tanker with missiles, which missed. USS Mason responded to the tanker's distress call and shot down a UAV launched from a Houthi-controlled area. The Ardmore Encounter was able to continue its voyage without further incident.
On 14 December, a Houthi-launched missile was fired at the Maersk Gibraltar, though it missed its target. On 15 December, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for attacks on two Liberian-flagged vessels identified as MSC Alanya and MSC Palatium III. The Houthis fired naval missiles at the ships as they alleged they were traveling to Israel.
On 15 December, it was reported that the Liberian-flagged Al-Jasrah, which is owned by Hapag Lloyd, caught fire after being hit by a Houthi-launched projectile while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On 16 December, Royal Navy destroyer shot down a drone over the Red Sea while it was targeting a commercial ship.
On 18 December, Houthis claimed to have launched attacks targeting two cargo vessels in the Red Sea near Mocha port, the MSC Clara and the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic. The Swan Atlantics owner, Inventor Chemical Tankers, said its water tank was damaged in the attack and denied it has any Israeli ties.
On 23 December, Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, but no ships were hit. also shot down four UAVs that were heading toward it.
On 26 December, Houthis fired several naval missiles at the MSC United VIII in the Red Sea after it rejected three warning calls. She reported several explosions near her. She alerted a nearby coalition task force warship and engaged in evasive maneuvers as per her instructions during the attacks.
The container ship Maersk Hangzhou, owned by A.P. Moller Singapore Pte. Ltd. and in service with Maersk Line, was attacked over two days in late December. On 30 December, she was hit by a land-based missile, suffering only limited damage and no casualties. The following day, four small Yemeni gunboats attempted to attack and board the ship. The Maersk Hangzhous own security team repelled them. Responding to her distress call, helicopters were deployed from and , which were then engaged by the Houthis. The helicopters returned fire and sank three of the boats, killing their crews (ten militants in all—the fourth boat withdrew), thus inflicting the first known casualties of the Red Sea crisis.
On 11 January 2024, Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, which landed in the water near a commercial vessel, causing no damage or injuries.
On 12 January, Houthis mistakenly targeted MT Khalissa as it carried Russian crude oil based on outdated information linking it to the United Kingdom. A missile was fired near the vessel as it sailed off the coast of Aden, causing no injuries or damage. Three small boats also tailed the vessel for over an hour.