On October 1, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the cruise missile attack on the Dutch cargo ship Minervagracht that took place on September 29 in the Gulf of Aden. The attack seriously wounded two crew members, who—together with the other 17—were airlifted by a helicopter from the EU mission Aspides. The cargo vessel, which was headed to Mumbai, India, is currently on fire and adrift.
Although the ship had no direct connection with Israel and was not carrying cargo, the Houthis justified the attack by arguing that the vessel had previously docked at Israeli ports, thereby violating their entry ban.
This is the first Houthi attack on a commercial ship since their strike on an Israeli tanker in the Red Sea at the beginning of September. It is the first attack on a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden since July 2024.
Military strikes and ongoing attacks by the Houthis continue to threaten stability in the Middle East.
The Iran-backed Yemeni militia has carried out repeated assaults on commercial ships in the Red Sea, causing vessel traffic to plummet sharply as companies suspended their operations or shifted their routes to the Cape of Good Hope. But who exactly are the Houthis?
Click through and find out more about the emergence of the Houthi movement.