Three sailors have perished as a result of recent missile strikes by Houthi rebels on a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, with at least four others sustaining injuries. The vessel, named "True Confidence" and registered under the flag of Barbados, suffered significant damage and was left stranded at sea following the attack. Those crew members who escaped injury were promptly evacuated from the scene.

These casualties mark the first fatalities resulting from Houthi strikes on commercial ships, a series of attacks initiated in a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. The United States has reiterated its condemnation of the Houthi actions, which have garnered support from Iran, denouncing them as hindrances to international trade, maritime freedom, and posing direct threats to sailors' lives.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized the U.S.'s commitment to holding the Houthis accountable for their actions, stressing that such attacks not only disrupt global commerce and endanger maritime navigation but have now claimed multiple lives.