A bulk carrier sank days after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which is believed to have killed one mariner on board, authorities reported early Wednesday. This marks the second such ship to be sunk in the ongoing rebel campaign. The sinking of the Tutor in the Red Sea represents a significant escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their efforts to target shipping through this crucial maritime corridor amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Despite a prolonged U.S.-led campaign in the region aimed at curbing such attacks, the Navy has faced its most intense maritime fighting since World War II, with near-daily attacks targeting commercial vessels and warships. The Tutor, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned-and-operated bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, which issued a warning to sailors in the region.

“Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the last reported location,” the UKMTO stated. “The vessel is believed to have sunk.” Neither the Houthis nor the U.S. military immediately acknowledged the sinking or responded to requests for comment.

The Tutor was attacked approximately a week ago by a bomb-carrying Houthi drone boat in the Red Sea. John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, stated on Monday that the attack killed a crew member from the Philippines, who has been missing for over a week in the intense summertime heat of the Red Sea.

The attack, which occurred on June 15, 2024, involved sailors from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group assisting distressed mariners rescued from the Tutor. The use of an explosive-laden boat raised concerns reminiscent of the 2000 USS Cole attack, a suicide assault by al-Qaida on the warship in Aden, which killed 17 crew members. The USS Cole is now part of a U.S. Navy operation led by the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, aimed at halting Houthi attacks, though the rebels continue their assaults.

The Houthis have launched over 50 attacks on shipping since November, killing four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two others, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign targeting the Houthis has been ongoing since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 reportedly killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, according to rebel sources.

In March, the Belize-flagged Rubymar, carrying a load of fertilizer, sank in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a rebel attack.

The Houthis claim their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. However, many of the ships they have attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war. The conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 37,000 Palestinians, while hundreds have been killed in Israeli operations in the West Bank. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.

A recent report by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency noted that container shipping through the Red Sea has declined by 90% since December due to these attacks. Up to 15% of the world’s maritime traffic passes through this vital corridor.