Egypt Officially Denies Connection To TIHAMA Vessel Attacked By Houthis Off Yemen

A Houthi missile attack on a commercial vessel in the Bab El-Mandeb Strait left 6 people dead and 10 injured.

The Yemeni Coast Guard confirmed that the commercial ship TIHAMA suffered repeated missile strikes south of Al-Mokha port, followed by an assault on rescue teams.

The attack killed four crew members, including three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian, along with two Yemeni personnel involved in rescue efforts. Ten others were injured, including seven crew members.

Houthi-affiliated news outlet broadcast images of the vessel and claimed to have struck a Saudi military transport ship.

However, as several media reports alleged the ship was Egyptian-owned or operated by an Alexandria-based firm, Egypt’s Ministry of Transport issued an official statement denying any connection.

The ministry clarified that the TIHAMA was sailing under the Tanzanian flag, is owned by a Yemeni national, and is operated by Blue Sea for Management Marine through its Dubai branch in the United Arab Emirates.

Officials emphasised that the operating company is not licensed by Egypt’s maritime authorities and that the vessel had no Egyptian cargo, was not sailing towards Egypt, and had never entered Egyptian waters.

In another statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the strike alongside an earlier attack on a Saudi oil tanker.

Calling the strikes a serious threat to maritime safety in the Red Sea, Cairo said that any actions endangering freedom of navigation must be dealt with accordingly.

The ministry called for adherence to international law and the UN Charter to safeguard international waterways and ensure the uninterrupted flow of global supply chains.

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