HUDAYDAH, YEMEN - RELEASED ON JULY 8, 2025: Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have released footage of their attack on the ship Magic Seas in the Red Sea. The video, posted on the Houthis’ official X account on Tuesday, July 8, shows the crew of the Magic Seas is seen ignoring warnings and calls issued by the Houthis off the coast of Yemen’s western Hudaydah province. The footage then shows Houthi forces launching an attack on the ship using unmanned surface vehicles, followed by an armed raid. It later shows the ship sinking completely in the Red Sea. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement yesterday that they targeted the Magic Seas off the coast of Yemen with two unmanned surface vehicles, three drones, and five ballistic missiles. Saree stated that the crew was allowed to leave the ship and added, “The attack was carried out after multiple warnings and calls were issued to the ship. The crew rejected all of them.” He said the ship was targeted because it had used ports in Israel, and confirmed that the vessel sank in the Red Sea following the attack. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also announced that it had rescued the crew of the Magic Seas, which had come under attack in the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Sunday, July 6, that an attack had taken place on a ship 51 nautical miles southwest of Hudaydah, Yemen. Since October 31, 2023, the Houthis in Yemen have been targeting commercial ships they claim are linked to Israeli companies in response to Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza. Writing by Ayse Elif Erdis