Yemen's Houthi Rebels Step Up Attacks on Cargo Ships, Spreading Into New Waters

Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked a US-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden on August 5, 2026. A earlier strike on a Saudi oil tanker sank four ships and killed nine crew members, driving traffic through the nearby Bab al-Mandab Strait — a narrow passage critical to world trade — to its lowest level ever. Warships from other nations have not stopped the attacks.