Are the Houthis behind it?
Reports: Merchant ship attacked off Yemen coast
Updated July 17, 2026 – 4:25 p.mReading time: 1 min.
The Houthis in Yemen, who are allied with Iran, have recently been increasingly threatening attacks on merchant ships. Now an attack is reported off the coast of Yemen.
A merchant ship is reportedly off the coast of the Yemen been attacked. As the British Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO) announced, unauthorized people are said to have boarded while the ship was crossing the Gulf of Aden in an easterly direction.
The incident is said to have taken place 65 nautical miles south of the Yemeni city of Al-Mukalla. He is being investigated by authorities, the statement said. Ships were urged to exercise caution.
- Important strait | Insider: Rockets placed at the “Gate of Tears”.
Houthis have not yet commented on the attack
Whether the incident coincides with the recent flare-up of disputes between the USA and that Iran to do was initially unclear. The Iran-allied Houthi militia in Yemen did not immediately comment on the alleged attack. It had repeatedly threatened to disrupt the important sea route between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Next to the Strait of Hormuzwhich is blocked by Iran in response to Israeli-American attacks, is another important lifeline of international maritime trade in the region. However, the areas controlled by the Houthis are far from the site of the incident.
The UKMTO reported another attack on a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea, about 100 nautical miles east of the coast of Oman. The tanker was reportedly affected by ongoing military activity, the statement said.
