Verified images show Red Sea ship sinking and aftermath of attack on Kyiv
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Six crew rescued, 15 missing after Houthis sink latest Greek ship in Red Sea
Six crew members pulled alive from the Red Sea after Houthi militants attacked and sank a second ship this week. The fate of another 15 was unknown after the Iran-aligned group said they held some of the seafarers. Eternity C went down Wednesday morning after attacks on two previous days, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said. The strikes on the two ships revive a campaign by the Iranian-aligned fighters who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023 to December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians. In May, the U.S. announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel. The Red Sea, which passes Yemen’s coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world’s oil and commodities but traffic has dropped sharply since the Houthi attacks began. The Eternity C and the Magic Seas both flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms.
Six rescued so far, sources and EU naval mission say
Crew of 22, plus three armed guards were aboard
ATHENS, July 9 (Reuters) – Rescuers pulled six crew members alive from the Red Sea after Houthi militants attacked and sank a second ship this week, while the fate of another 15 was unknown after the Iran-aligned group said they held some of the seafarers.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the assault that maritime officials say killed four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C before the rest abandoned the cargo ship. Eternity C went down Wednesday morning after attacks on two previous days, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said.
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The six rescued seafarers spent more than 24 hours in the water, those firms said.
The United States Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from Eternity C and called for their immediate and unconditional safe release.
“The Yemeni Navy responded to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location,” the group’s military spokesperson said in a televised address.
The Houthis released a video they said depicted their attack on Eternity C. It included sound of a Yemen naval forces’ call for the crew to evacuate for rescue and showed explosions on the ship before it sank. Reuters could not independently verify the audio or the location of the ship, which it verified was the Eternity C.
The Houthis also have claimed responsibility for a similar assault on Sunday targeting another ship, the Magic Seas. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank.
The strikes on the two ships revive a campaign by the Iran-aligned fighters who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023 to December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians. In May, the U.S. announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.
Leading shipping industry associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO, denounced the deadly operation and called for robust maritime security in the region via a joint statement on Wednesday.
“These vessels have been attacked with callous disregard for the lives of innocent civilian seafarers,” they said.
“This tragedy illuminates the need for nations to maintain robust support in protecting shipping and vital sea lanes.”
RESCUE SEARCH
Item 1 of 2 A crew said to be from cargo ship Eternity C, which sank after being attacked, is seen at sea during a rescue operation, off Yemen, in this handout image released on July 9, 2025. Diaplous/Handout via REUTERS [1/2] A crew said to be from cargo ship Eternity C, which sank after being attacked, is seen at sea during a rescue operation, off Yemen, in this handout image released on July 9, 2025. Diaplous/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
The Eternity C and the Magic Seas both flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms. Some of the sister vessels in each of their wider fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, shipping data analysis showed.
“We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light,” said an official at Greece-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous.
The EU’s Aspides naval mission, which protects Red Sea shipping, confirmed in a statement that six people had been pulled from the sea.
The Red Sea, which passes Yemen’s coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world’s oil and commodities but traffic has dropped sharply since the Houthi attacks began.
The number of daily sailings through the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, numbered 30 vessels on July 8, from 34 ships on July 6 and 43 on July 1, according to data from maritime data group Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
Oil prices rose on Wednesday, maintaining their highest levels since June 23, also due to the recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
MULTIPLE ATTACKS
Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid. By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing.
Two security sources told Reuters that the vessel was hit again with sea drones on Tuesday, forcing the crew and armed guards to abandon it. The Houthis stayed with the vessel until the early hours of Wednesday, one of the sources said.
Skiffs were in the area as rescue efforts were underway.
The crew comprised 21 Filipinos and one Russian. Three armed guards were also on board, including one Greek and one Indian, who was one of those rescued.
The vessel’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to requests for confirmation of casualties or injuries. If confirmed, the four reported deaths would be the first fatalities from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024.
Greece has been in talks with Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, over the latest incident, according to sources.
Reporting by Renee Maltezou, Yannis Souliotis, Jonathan Saul and Mohammed Ghobari, additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles Editing by Jan Harvey, Saad Sayeed, Jason Neely, Peter Graff, Aidan Lewis and Deepa Babington
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BBC Verify Live: Verified images show Red Sea ship sinking and aftermath of attack on Kyiv
Only one GHF site currently open for aid distribution in Gaza – SDS 2. On a typical day, 10,368 boxes or 665,280 meals are distributed at that site. UN secretary general calls their operations “inherently unsafe’ GHF has defended its operations in Gaza, saying it is ‘here to help’
Alex Murray
BBC Verify journalist
The Israel and US-backed organisation responsible for distributing aid in Gaza has said there’s “no distribution” at its Gaza Valley, external site this week and Khan Younis would also be closed from Wednesday for maintenance and renovation work, external.
These announcements come from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) Facebook page, where Gazans find out information about where aid will be available on a daily basis.
Another GHF site – SDS1 – in the Tel al-Sultan area near Rafah has not operated since mid-June. At the end of the month the Israel Defense Forces said it had decided to close the hub there and establish a new one nearby.
That leaves just one site, SDS 2 – known as “Saudi Neighbourhood” – currently operating for aid distribution.
On a typical day, 10,368 boxes or 665,280 meals are distributed at that site, according to data from GHF’s daily operational updates.
A joint statement from some of the world’s biggest charities and NGOs argues the GHF is violating all norms of humanitarian work and should be shut down, with the UN secretary general calling their operations “inherently unsafe.”
The GHF has defended its operations in Gaza. A spokesperson said: “GHF is here to help, and we remain committed to our work to ensure that Gazans have reliable aid during a time when no other aid groups are present on the ground delivering food – with nearly 68 million meals distributed to date and counting.”
Trump says Iran’s key nuclear sites ‘obliterated’ by US airstrikes
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran’s nuclear sites have been “completely and totally obliterated” Iran confirms Fordow site attacked by ‘enemy airstrikes’ UN calls strikes a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge of peace” Israel says it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons, says it wants to remove all chance of Iran developing such a program. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls the strikes a ‘direct threat to international security and security on the edges’ of the region’ The U.S., Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries. The strikes are a major escalation of the conflict and risks opening a new era of instability in the Middle East. the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump said in a televised address. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely andotally obliterated,” he said. Trump said Iran’s future held “either peace or tragedy,” and there were many other targets that could be hit.
Iran confirms Fordow site attacked by ‘enemy airstrikes’
Israel claims coordination with U.S. on Iran strikes
Diplomatic efforts to stop hostilities unsuccessful, UN calls strikes dangerous escalation
WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) – U.S. forces struck Iran’s three main nuclear sites , President Donald Trump said late on Saturday, and he warned Tehran it would face more devastating attacks if it does not agree to peace.
After days of deliberation and long before his self-imposed two-week deadline, Trump’s decision to join Israel’s military campaign against its major rival Iran is a major escalation of the conflict and risks opening a new era of instability in the Middle East.
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“The strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump said in a televised address. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
In a speech that lasted just over three minutes, Trump said Iran’s future held “either peace or tragedy,” and there were many other targets that could be hit by the U.S. military.
“If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”
The U.S. reached out to Iran diplomatically on Saturday to say the strikes are all the U.S. plans and it does not aim for regime change, CBS News reported.
Trump said U.S. forces struck Iran’s three principal nuclear sites : Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. He told Fox News’ Sean Hannity show that six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Fordow, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against other nuclear sites.
U.S. B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Fordow is gone.”
Reuters had reported earlier on Saturday the movement of the B-2 bombers , which can be equipped to carry massive bombs that experts say would be needed to strike Fordow, which is buried beneath a mountain south of Tehran. Given its fortification, it will likely be days, if not longer, before the impact of the strikes is known.
An Iranian official, cited by Tasnim news agency, confirmed part of the Fordow site was attacked by “enemy airstrikes.”
However, Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker for Qom, near Fordow, told the semi-official Fars news agency the facility had not been seriously damaged.
Iranian media quoted Iran’s nuclear body as saying there were no signs of contamination after the attacks, and no danger to residents living nearby.
Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran’s state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago.
“The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,” he told the channel.
Item 1 of 13 U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool [1/13] U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities…. Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab Read more
DIPLOMACY UNSUCCESSFUL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his “bold decision”.
“History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime, the world’s most dangerous weapons,” Netanyahu said.
The strikes came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries.
Israel launched the attacks on Iran saying it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have so far failed. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Saturday’s strikes a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.”
Both sides’ attacks on energy infrastructure, including by Israel on Iran’s South Pars gas field and the risk of a complete shutdown of the OPEC member’s oil production, as well as Iran targeting shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, have fueled fears of a spike in oil prices and impacts on economies worldwide.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was due to hold a news conference at the Pentagon early on Sunday.
In recent days, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans have argued that Trump must receive permission from the U.S. Congress before committing the U.S. military to any combat against Iran.
Republican Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi applauded the operation but cautioned that the U.S. now faced “very serious choices ahead.”
One Republican lawmaker, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, simply said, “This is not constitutional.” Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it was “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
Many in Trump’s MAGA movement oppose U.S. entanglement in foreign military operations. Trump ally Steve Bannon said on his War Room podcast that the president’s address was probably not what a lot of MAGA supporters wanted to hear, and he called on Trump to offer a “deeper explanation” for why U.S. involvement was necessary.
Trump-aligned commentator Charlie Kirk posted on X: “America stands with President Trump.”
Israel launched attacks on June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies.
At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed and 1,272 people injured, according to local authorities.
Reporting by Reuters; Additional reporting by Rick Cowan and Jasper Ward; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Marguerita Choy
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Survivor search ongoing as Houthis sink second Red Sea cargo ship in a week
“We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light,” the U.S. Embassy in Yemen said. “We have said it is acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have alleged that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK,” a source said. The U.N. said it was participating in the international response to the attack on the Eternity C. “It is the second vessel the Houthis have sunk in a week, after the group on Sunday launched missiles and drones at another Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo ship, Magic Seas,” said a source. “They have now sunk four ships, seized a fifth, and killed at least seven crew members,” the source added. “This is not always the case,” said another source, “it can be a lot more than just one or two incidents at a time. It can be the start of a trend or the end of it.”
Images of a fireball exploding on a cargo ship are shown on a giant screen during a protest called for by Yemen’s rebel Huthi movement in Sanaa on March 17, 2025. Picture: Getty
By Alice Brooker
At least three crew members have been killed and six others rescued after a cargo ship was attacked by Yemen’s Houthis and sank in the Red Sea, a European naval mission says.
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The Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated Eternity C was carrying 25 crew when it was hit by rocket-propelled grenades fired from small boats on Monday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.
The ship sustained significant damage and lost all propulsion, and then was attacked again on Tuesday.
Search rescue operations commenced overnight.
The Iran-backed Houthis said they attacked the Eternity C because it was heading to Israel, and that they took an unspecified number of crew to a “safe location”.
Read more: Houthi rebels celebrate sinking ship packed with explosives in Red Sea
Read more: Forty Palestinians, including 10 children, killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza – as mediators race to sign ceasefire deal
Smartphone with logo of United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on screen in front of website. Picture: Alamy
The US embassy in Yemen said the Houthis had kidnapped “many surviving crew members” and called for their immediate release.
Twenty-one of the crew were citizens, according to authorities in the Philippines.
Another of them is reportedly a Russian national who was severely wounded in the attack and lost a leg.
It is the second vessel the Houthis have sunk in a week, after the group on Sunday launched missiles and drones at another Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo ship, Magic Seas, which they claimed “belong[ed] to a company that violated the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine”.
Video footage released by the Houthis on Tuesday showed armed men boarding the vessel and setting off a series of explosions which caused it to sink.
Houthi soldiers walk past the US embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, in 2021. Credit: Hani Al-Ansi/dpa/Alamy Live News. Picture: Alamy
All 22 crew of Magic Seas were safely rescued by a passing merchant vessel.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted around 70 merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
They have now sunk four ships, seized a fifth, and killed at least seven crew members, according to reports.
The group has said it is acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have alleged that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK, which have carried out air strikes on Yemen in response.
However, reports say this is not always the case.
Aerial drone view of red empty cargo ship in the ocean. Picture: Alamy
On Wednesday the EU’s naval mission in the Red Sea, Operation Aspides, said it was participating in the international response to the attack on the Eternity C and that “currently six castaway crew members have been recovered from the sea”.
An Aspides official told AFP news agency that five were Filipinos and one was Indian, and that 19 others were still missing.
The Greece-based maritime security firm Diaplous released a video on Wednesday that showed the rescue of at least five seafarers who it said had spent more then 24 hours in the water, according to Reuters news agency.
“We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light,” Diaplous said.
Reuters also cited maritime security firms as saying that the death toll was four.
Houthi members ride a truck during their withdrawal at Salif port in Hodeidah, Yemen, on May 11, 2019. (Xinhua). Picture: Alamy
The US state department condemned the attacks on the Magic Seas and Eternity C, which it said “demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security”.
“The United States has been clear: we will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks, which must be condemned by all members of the international community.”
In May, the Houthis agreed a ceasefire deal with the US following seven weeks of intensified US strikes on Yemen in response to the attacks on international shipping.
However, they said the agreement did not include an end to attacks on Israel, which has conducted multiple rounds of retaliatory strikes on Yemen.
The secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) called for intensified diplomatic efforts following the new wave of attacks.
“After several months of calm, the resumption of deplorable attacks in the Red Sea constitutes a renewed violation of international law and freedom of navigation,” Arsenio Dominguez said.
“Innocent seafarers and local populations are the main victims of these attacks and the pollution they cause,” he warned.
Shocking Red Sea Ship Sinking and Kyiv Attack Aftermath Revealed in Verified Images
A Houthi video shows the sinking of the Eternity C cargo ship after an attack in the Red Sea, verified through image authentication. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions in the region and the potential risks to international shipping routes. The need for enhanced security protocols for cargo ships.Potential international responses to protect shipping lanes. The impact of regional conflicts on global trade and maritime security.
www.bbc.com
The sinking of the Eternity C, a cargo ship operated by Greece, has raised significant concerns regarding maritime security in the Red Sea. On July 10, 2025, the vessel was reportedly attacked by Houthi fighters, leading to its tragic demise. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions in the region and the potential risks to international shipping routes.
6 Key Takeaways Attack on Eternity C by Houthi fighters
Video authenticated, but audio unverifiable
Ship matches 2020 photos on Vessel Finder
Damage consistent with Lloyd’s List images
No evidence of AI manipulation found
Footage is current, no prior copies exist
Video footage released by Houthi-controlled media shows the ship sinking, with images that match known profiles of the Eternity C. While the authenticity of the audio communications remains unverified, the visual evidence has been confirmed by multiple sources, including Lloyd’s List and Vessel Finder.
Fast Answer: The Eternity C sank after a Houthi attack in the Red Sea, raising alarms about maritime security and the implications for global shipping routes.
This incident prompts critical questions about the safety of maritime operations in conflict zones. How can shipping companies ensure the safety of their vessels in such volatile regions? The following points merit consideration:
The need for enhanced security protocols for cargo ships.
Potential international responses to protect shipping lanes.
The impact of regional conflicts on global trade.
The attack on the Eternity C underscores the escalating dangers in the Red Sea, a vital artery for global trade.
As tensions continue to rise, stakeholders must prioritize maritime safety and diplomatic efforts to prevent further incidents. Will the international community take decisive action to safeguard shipping routes in the region?