Four crew reported killed in a Houthi strike on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb

Four crew members were killed when Iran-aligned Houthi forces attacked the Egyptian-owned cargo vessel Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to reporting on the incident. The deaths, if confirmed, would be the first from a Houthi strike on shipping since fighting between Iran and the United States began on 28 February.

The US military separately said it had struck a container ship attempting to sail toward an Iranian port. Traffic through the strait fell about 24 per cent after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, though transit volumes have since stabilised, according to shipping analysts.

A standing US Maritime Administration advisory remains in force for the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.