KUWAIT/DUBAI: Acting CEO of the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company Sheikh Khaled Ahmad Al-Sabah, announced on Tuesday that the company’s oil tanker Bahra rescued 45 refugees from drowning in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece. In a statement to KUNA, Sheikh Khaled said the Greek Search and Rescue Center had reported a disabled boat in distress at 4 pm on Monday, located 60 miles off the Greek coast. The Bahra was immediately notified and dispatched to provide necessary humanitarian aid.

“All 45 individuals on board the distressed vessel were safely rescued,” he said. “They were provided with water, food and temporary shelter aboard the tanker. Their health condition was stable.” Following the rescue, Bahra continued its course to the Greek island of Crete, where the refugees were safely disembarked at 1 pm Tuesday and handed over to Greek authorities after all necessary procedures were completed, in accordance with international maritime and humanitarian laws. Sheikh Khaled emphasized that the rescue mission reflects the company’s ability to balance operational efficiency with humanitarian responsibility and underscores Kuwait’s enduring commitment to placing human dignity at the forefront — whether through its maritime fleet or development initiatives.

He noted that this was not the first such mission for KOTC. On June 12, the company’s tanker Dasma rescued 40 refugees. In another historic operation on June 15, 2014, KOTC’s giant crude oil tanker Al-Salmi conducted what remains the world’s largest maritime refugee rescue, saving 536 people off the Italian coast — an effort that received international acclaim and was recognized by the International Maritime Organization.

Sheikh Khaled reaffirmed that safety and marine environmental protection remain top priorities in KOTC’s strategy. These humanitarian missions, he said, reflect the company’s efforts to integrate ethical and humanitarian values into its commercial operations, further strengthening its leadership in the maritime transport sector.

(Left) Kuwaiti oil tanker Bahra, which rescued 45 refugees in the Mediterranean Sea on July 7, 2025. (Right) Crewmembers of the Magic Seas commercial vessel climb on board the Safeen Prism after being rescued following an attack that forced them to abandon ship in the Red Sea on July 6, 2025. – KUNA/AFP

Separately, an ongoing attack on a cargo vessel in the Red Sea has killed three people, an EU maritime force said Tuesday, after Yemen’s Houthi rebels resumed their campaign against shipping in the vital waterway. The Eternity, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, had been badly damaged and was under “continuous attack” since Monday in waters off Yemen, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

“The vessel has sustained significant damage and has lost all propulsion,” UKMTO, which is run by the British navy, said in a statement. “The vessel is surrounded by small craft and is under continuous attack.” Operation Aspides, the European Union military force deployed in the Red Sea in response to the Houthis’ attacks on shipping, told AFP that “the chief engineer, an oiler and an engine cadet” were killed. It also reported “at least two injured, including a Russian electrician who lost a leg”.

All but one of the 22 crew are Filipino, according to Philippines officials. Filipino seafarers – who form one of the world’s largest pools of merchant mariners – have been urged to exercise their right to refuse to sail in “high-risk, war-like” areas, including the Red Sea after the latest strikes, the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers said on Tuesday.

The US embassy in Yemen in a statement on X accused the Houthis of staging the attack on Eternity, describing it as “the most violent” yet and accusing the group of “undermining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea” — the main goal of a May truce between Washington and the group. While the Houthis did not claim responsibility, it comes after the group struck another cargo ship, the Magic Seas, on Sunday — their first such action this year.

On Monday, the Houthis said they used unmanned boats, missiles and drones against the Magic Seas. The Houthis said the vessel had sunk. All 22 crew on the Magic Seas were rescued by a passing merchant vessel and arrived safely in Djibouti on Monday, Djibouti authorities said. “Just as Liberia was processing the shock and grief of the attack against Magic Seas, we received a report that Eternity C again has been attacked, attacked horribly and causing the death of two seafarers,” Liberia’s delegation told a session of the International Maritime Organization.

“After several months of calm, the resumption of deplorable attacks in the Red Sea constitutes a renewed violation of international law and freedom of navigation,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on Tuesday. “Innocent seafarers and local populations are the main victims of these attacks and the pollution they cause.”

The two incidents in quick succession raised fears of a return to regular Houthi attacks on a vital shipping route that previously carried about 12 percent of global trade. They also come as the United States pushes for fresh nuclear talks with Iran, the Houthis’ powerful backer, following the 12-day war with the Zionist entity.

Mohammed Albasha, of the US-based Basha Report Risk Advisory, said the rebels may be trying to exert pressure on the United States and the Zionist entity. “The (Magic Seas) attack could be intended as a subtle message to both Washington and Tel Aviv that Iran’s allied groups remain capable and active,” he said. “The message is clear. The Houthis still have the ability to disrupt and are carefully choosing when to act,” he added.

Nadwa Dawsari, of the Middle East Institute think tank, said that although the Houthis say they are fighting for the Palestinians, the Red Sea campaign “is bigger than Gaza” for the rebels. “These strikes boost their regional standing, fuel their narrative and advance their goal of becoming the new leader of the ‘Axis of Resistance’, all while reinforcing Iran’s broader regional agenda,” she posted on X.

Both the Eternity C and Magic Seas were part of commercial fleets whose sister vessels have made calls to Zionist ports over the past year. “The pause in Houthi activity did not necessarily indicate a change in underlying intent. As long as the conflict in Gaza persists, vessels with affiliations, both perceived and actual, will continue to face elevated risks,” said Ellie Shafik, head of intelligence with the Britain-based maritime risk management company Vanguard Tech.

Shipping traffic through the region has declined by around 50 percent from normal levels since the first Houthi attacks in 2023, according to Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer with shipping association BIMCO. “This reduction in traffic has persisted due to the ongoing unpredictability of the security situation. As such, BIMCO does not anticipate the recent attacks will significantly alter current shipping patterns,” Larsen said. – Agencies