Yemen’s Houthi militants claimed responsibility today for an attack on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht, which caught fire in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis’ military spokesperson said that Monday’s attack was carried out by a cruise missile. The strike injured two sailors and forced a helicopter evacuation of the ship’s 19 crew members, according to the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel’s operator.
The Iran-aligned group has launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war on Gaza. It was the first Houthi attack on a commercial ship since September 1, when they targeted Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
