Source: APNews

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Liberian-flagged cargo ship came under fire from Houthi rebels Monday in the Red Sea, with two on board reported to be hurt and two others missing in an assault a day after the Yemen-based rebels sunk another vessel.

The attack on the Greek-owned bulk carrier Eternity C in the crucial maritime route came after the Houthis attacked the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire Sunday, forcing its crew of 22 to abandon the vessel.

The two attacks and a round of Israeli airstrikes early Monday targeting the rebels raised fears of a renewed Houthi campaign against shipping that could again draw in U.S. and Western forces, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration targeted the rebels in a major airstrike campaign.

The attacks come at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance, and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following American airstrikes targeting its most sensitive atomic sites during the Israel-Iran war in June.

From AP’s Standards and Stylebook teams:

The AP is calling the conflict between Israel and Iran a war, given the scope, intensity and duration of military activities on both sides. Click here for an explanation of this decision.