In a strong joint statement, major shipping organizations have condemned the recent assaults on vessels in the Red Sea that resulted in seafarer fatalities and heightened security worries. The statement—issued by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO, European Shipowners | ECSA, INTERCARGO, and INTERTANKO—decried what they called a “callous disregard for the lives of innocent civilian seafarers.”
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The attacks claimed the lives of four crew members on the Liberian-flagged vessel Eternity C. According to reports, the ship was hit twice over the course of Monday and Tuesday, forcing the crew to abandon ship Wednesday morning as the vessel sank. Although six seafarers were rescued after spending over 24 hours in the water, 15 crew members remain unaccounted for. In a similar incident, the Magic Seas—also under a Liberian flag and operated by a Greek firm—was attacked on Sunday. Fortunately, all 22 crew members were safely evacuated before the vessel ultimately sank.
Joe Kramek, President & CEO of the World Shipping Council, voiced his outrage, stating, “What we’re seeing unfold in the Red Sea is shocking and unacceptable. Seafarers are being killed while simply doing their jobs.” Kramek stressed that attacks on commercial ships must not be normalized or exploited as political tools, adding, “The safety of those at sea, and the freedoms and rights of navigation, must be protected.” He backed the call for dialogue made by the IMO Secretary-General to ensure the protection of seafarers.
During the 134th IMO Council session in London, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the strikes, describing them as “a renewed violation of international law and freedom of navigation.” He appealed for strengthened diplomatic efforts to resolve the underlying geopolitical tensions affecting the shipping sector.
The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) detailed that the Magic Seas was assaulted by multiple small craft armed with small arms, RPGs, and a missile. The Eternity C faced a more complex attack, first targeted by sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades from speedboats—with lifeboats destroyed during the raid—before being hit again with sea drones the following day.
These incidents represent the first recorded attacks on shipping in the region since October 2024, ending nearly nine months of relative calm in this strategic waterway. The JMIC indicated that the vessels were likely targeted due to their prior Israeli port calls or affiliations with ships that had called at Israeli ports.
Over the past months, the Houthis have attacked more than 100 ships since November 2023, leaving four vessels sunk, causing at least seven fatalities (three of which occurred earlier in the campaign), and inflicting significant damage on several ships. Since early 2024, shipping traffic in the region has dropped by about 60% compared to historical averages.
In their statement, industry groups and the IMO Secretary-General called on all stakeholders to protect the lives of civilian seafarers, emphasizing the vital role they play in transporting food, goods, and energy across the global economy. The JMIC has urged shipping companies operating in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden to conduct thorough risk assessments—reviewing any Israeli port calls and evaluating their digital footprints to identify potential vulnerabilities.
