The Gulf of Aden, a vital artery for global trade, was rocked by violence on Monday, September 29, 2025, when Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a cruise missile at the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht. The attack, which left the vessel ablaze and adrift, is being called the most serious assault in months by the Iranian-backed group in this strategic waterway, according to multiple reports from the Associated Press, News Arena Network, and European and French military sources.
The Minervagracht, owned by Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, was carrying a 19-member crew from the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine. The missile strike wounded two mariners and forced the entire crew to abandon ship as flames consumed the vessel. European naval forces operating in the region, known as Operation Aspides, responded quickly to the emergency. "Upon receipt of an urgent distress request from the vessel’s master, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES initiated an immediate response to save all 19 crew members (Russian, Ukraine, Philippines, Sri Lanka) among which are two seriously wounded," the force said in a statement reported by News Arena Network. Dramatic footage released by European Union naval forces captured a helicopter airlifting the injured from the burning ship, with one mariner in stable condition and another airlifted to Djibouti for medical care.
The French military’s Maritime Information, Cooperation and Awareness Center confirmed that the Houthis carried out the attack, echoing statements from Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree. Saree said the rebels had fired a cruise missile at the Minervagracht, accusing Spliethoff of violating "the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine." This claim, as reported by the Associated Press and News Arena Network, is part of the Houthis’ justification for their ongoing campaign against commercial shipping in response to the Israel-Hamas war. The group has repeatedly asserted that its actions are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians, though many of its targets have had tenuous or no connections to Israel.
Initially, the U.S. Navy-overseen Joint Maritime Information Center stated that the Minervagracht had no ties to Israel. However, by Tuesday, September 30, 2025, the center had begun "reviewing vessel affiliations for possible links to Israel," as noted by both the Associated Press and News Arena Network. This ambiguity has become a recurring theme in the Houthis’ maritime campaign, which has seen over 100 missile and drone attacks on ships and on Israel since the Gaza conflict erupted.
The attack on the Minervagracht is not an isolated incident. The Houthis’ campaign has killed at least eight mariners and sunk four ships since November 2023, according to the Associated Press and News Arena Network. The group’s reach has expanded beyond the Red Sea—where most of their earlier assaults were concentrated—into the Gulf of Aden, a region that had not seen such a serious attack since August 2024. The Minervagracht itself had narrowly escaped an unsuccessful attack in the Gulf of Aden just days earlier, on September 23, 2025.
The broader context of this attack is a region already on edge. As Israel launched a new ground offensive in Gaza City, efforts to broker a ceasefire faltered. Meanwhile, the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, further heightening tensions across the Middle East. The Houthis, emboldened by Iranian support, have used these regional developments to justify and intensify their operations.
In a worrying sign of escalation, the Houthis on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, announced sanctions against several major American oil companies—including Chevron Corp, ConocoPhillips, and Exxon Mobil Corp—as well as individuals and two ships. Past designations like these have preceded further attacks, raising alarms among international shipping operators and Western governments. The rebels threatened to “employ all means and instruments available” against American oil firms, a move that could have far-reaching implications for energy markets and maritime security.
The impact of the Houthis’ actions has been profound. Before the war, roughly $1 trillion in goods passed through the Red Sea annually. Now, shipping routes have been upended, insurance costs have soared, and the specter of violence hangs over every vessel that dares to traverse these waters. The Minervagracht’s ordeal is just the latest chapter in a saga that has seen mariners killed, ships sunk, and international efforts to restore stability repeatedly frustrated.
The European naval force Operation Aspides has played a crucial role in responding to these crises. After the Minervagracht was struck, Aspides confirmed that the ship was “on fire and adrift” and coordinated the rescue of the crew. The ship’s owner, Spliethoff, described the damage as “substantial,” underscoring the severity of the attack. The French military’s confirmation of Houthi involvement and their cooperation with EU forces highlight the international dimension of the crisis.
Despite the Houthis’ claims of solidarity with Palestinians, many of their targets have had little or no connection to Israel. The Minervagracht’s affiliations remain under review, but the pattern of attacks suggests a broader strategy aimed at disrupting global trade and projecting power far beyond Yemen’s borders. The group’s willingness to strike vessels with only tenuous links to their stated enemies has injected a new level of unpredictability into maritime security in the region.
The Houthis’ campaign has not gone unanswered. During a brief ceasefire, attacks on shipping and Israel halted, but the rebels later became the target of an intense campaign of airstrikes ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, as reported by the Associated Press. This cycle of violence and retaliation has made lasting peace elusive, with each new incident threatening to ignite a wider conflagration.
For the crew of the Minervagracht, the attack was a harrowing ordeal. Rescued from their burning ship, two of their number wounded, they became the latest victims in a conflict that shows no sign of abating. For the shipping industry, the message was clear: the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea remain perilous waters, where politics, war, and commerce collide with devastating consequences.
As the world watches the fallout from the Minervagracht attack, the stakes could not be higher. With the Houthis vowing further actions, Western powers scrambling to protect shipping, and the region teetering on the brink, the fate of one Dutch-flagged cargo ship has become a symbol of a much larger crisis—a crisis that continues to unfold on the high seas.
