On August 11, 2026, an Iran-backed Houthi group attacked the Egypt-owned, Tanzania-flagged cargo vessel Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing six people including four crew members and two rescuers [1, 2, 3]. The four crew fatalities included three Pakistanis and one Indonesian national [1, 2, 3]. The two rescuers who died were members of Yemen's anti-Houthi National Resistance Forces, killed when the Houthis struck again during ongoing rescue efforts. Yemen's Coast Guard said, "The attack struck the site of the rescue operation and resulted in deaths and injuries among the forces participating in the response operation" [2]. The Yemen Transport Ministry condemned the attack and confirmed the casualties [1, 2, 3].
The Houthis also said they attacked a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the same day but did not name the vessel involved [1, 4, 2, 3]. This attack comes after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20, citing what they called a Saudi "siege" on Yemen, a claim Riyadh denies [1, 3]. The collapse of the 2022 Yemen civil war truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government has led to escalating hostilities, including these maritime strikes [2, 3].
Meanwhile, on the same day, the US military disabled the Panama-flagged cargo ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman after it ignored warnings to stop violating a US naval blockade on Iranian ports. The US Navy fired two Hellfire missiles to disable the ship's steering and propulsion [1, 4, 2, 3]. The US reimposed the naval blockade in mid-April and said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled three ships, and boarded two since then [3].
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on August 10, advanced demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including the release of frozen Iranian assets. Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei warned the strait would remain closed until the US meets Iran's conditions, including ending regional conflicts [4]. US President Donald Trump said, "I’m sort of negotiating. They’re very devious negotiators," reflecting ongoing tensions [4].
