In the early hours of Monday, September 29, 2025, the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht became the latest casualty in a series of maritime attacks off Yemen’s coast, suffering a direct missile strike that set the vessel ablaze and forced its crew into a harrowing evacuation. The incident, widely attributed to Yemen’s Houthi rebels though not yet officially claimed, marks the most serious assault in the Gulf of Aden in more than a year and underscores the mounting risks faced by global shipping in these volatile waters.
According to multiple reports from Associated Press, Reuters, and maritime security firms, the Minervagracht was sailing approximately 128 nautical miles southeast of Aden when it was struck. The missile impact caused substantial damage, igniting a fire that quickly rendered the ship uninhabitable. Spliethoff, the Amsterdam-based owner of the 12,200 dwt vessel, described the aftermath as “inflicting substantial damage to the ship.” The European naval mission Operation Aspides confirmed that as of early Tuesday, the Minervagracht was “on fire and adrift.”
The crew’s ordeal was swift and frightening. All 19 mariners—hailing from the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine—were evacuated by helicopter to nearby vessels. One crew member, described as seriously injured, was airlifted to Djibouti for urgent treatment, while another sustained less severe wounds but remained stable. The rest of the crew escaped unharmed, but the trauma of abandoning their burning ship in open waters is likely to linger.
This was not the first time the Minervagracht had come under threat. Just six days earlier, on September 23, the vessel narrowly avoided a similar fate when its master reported a “splash followed by a loud bang” about 1.5 nautical miles away while sailing east of Aden. Maritime security agencies such as the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and private firm Ambrey confirmed that projectiles had been fired at the ship but missed their mark. In Monday’s attack, the ship was not transmitting its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal, a detail that raises further questions about the circumstances and possible vulnerabilities exploited by the attackers.
The French Navy’s Maritime Information, Cooperation and Awareness Center was quick to link the strike to the Houthis, noting that the group often delays public claims of responsibility by hours or even days. Local Yemeni media also reported a possible ballistic missile launch from Houthi-controlled territory. While the rebels have not yet officially claimed the attack, the strike fits a clear pattern: since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the region, citing solidarity with Palestinians as their justification. Yet, as the U.S. Navy-overseen Joint Maritime Information Center emphasized, the Minervagracht had “no Israeli affiliations.”
The attack on the Minervagracht is part of a broader escalation by the Iran-backed Houthis, whose campaign has disrupted commercial shipping in both the Red Sea and now the Gulf of Aden. The rebels have launched missile and drone attacks on over 100 ships in the past two years, upending a critical artery for global trade. Before the current conflict, nearly $1 trillion worth of goods passed through the Red Sea annually, a testament to the strategic importance of this maritime corridor.
The July 2025 attacks serve as a grim reminder of what’s at stake. That month, the Houthis sank two bulk carriers in the Red Sea, resulting in the deaths of at least four sailors and the capture of others. These incidents forced shipping companies to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa—a detour that adds significant costs and delays to global supply chains. The Minervagracht attack marks the first reported Houthi strike on a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden since August 2024, showing that the threat zone has expanded well beyond the Red Sea.
The Gulf of Aden, patrolled by the U.S. Navy and several allied naval forces, has long been a hotspot for maritime security concerns. Monday’s attack, however, represents a significant escalation. As noted by Operation Aspides, “the Minervagracht is on fire and adrift after the crew’s rescue.” The French military’s Maritime Information, Cooperation and Awareness Center added that “a warship is heading to the scene,” highlighting the urgency and gravity of the situation.
While the Houthis claim their campaign is aimed at vessels linked to Israel, in reality, their targets have often had little or no connection to the country. The Minervagracht incident is a case in point, as confirmed by both the French and U.S. maritime information centers. This indiscriminate approach has heightened the risks for all commercial shipping in the region, regardless of flag or cargo.
Observers note that the Houthis briefly halted their attacks during a ceasefire in January, but resumed with renewed intensity in July. The rebels themselves became the target of a weekslong campaign of airstrikes ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, before a ceasefire was declared. Yet, the cycle of violence has continued, with each new attack adding to the sense of unpredictability and danger for mariners transiting these waters.
For the crew of the Minervagracht, the ordeal is far from over. The ship remains adrift and burning, posing a hazard to other vessels in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Salvage operations are complicated by the ongoing threat of further attacks and the sheer scale of the damage. For shipping companies, the incident is a stark reminder of the need for heightened vigilance and contingency planning in an increasingly perilous region.
The broader implications for global trade are sobering. With the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden now both within the Houthis’ reach, the world’s supply chains face unprecedented disruptions. Insurance premiums for ships transiting these waters have soared, and many operators are weighing the risks of continuing to use these routes versus the costs of lengthy detours. For now, the fate of the Minervagracht serves as a warning: the waters off Yemen remain as dangerous as ever, and the stakes for international commerce could hardly be higher.
As the flames aboard the Minervagracht flicker against the horizon, the world’s attention is once again drawn to the fragile security of the seas—and to the mariners who risk their lives to keep global trade moving, even in the face of mounting danger.
