In a development that initially bore the hallmarks of a Houthi attack, two British maritime security agencies reported on Saturday that a Cameroon-flagged oil tanker named Falcon was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Aden, igniting a fire on board.
Two sailors were reported missing, while the remaining 24 crew members were evacuated to Djibouti.
Al-Masirah TV, the media arm of Yemen’s Houthi movement, cited a source at the Ministry of Defense in the group’s self-styled government denying reports that Houthi forces had targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden, insisting they had “no connection” to the incident.
The denial marked the second signal from the Houthis that they may be halting maritime attacks, coming two days after the group’s leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, declared in a televised speech the phrase “If you return, we will return” - an implicit indication of a pause in hostilities following calm in Gaza.
The Houthi denial aligned with data from the oil tanker tracking service TankerTrackers, which said the MV FALCON, sailing under the Cameroon flag and carrying Iranian liquefied gas, was likely bound for the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Issa in Hodeidah, western Yemen, to supply the group.
The European naval mission, EUNAVFOR Aspides, said two of the tanker’s 26 crew members were missing. All were Indian nationals except one Ukrainian.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received a report of a projectile attack on a vessel 116 nautical miles east of Aden, sparking a fire on board. It said maritime authorities were “verifying details of the incident” and urged ships in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
Separately, the British maritime security firm Ambrey said the tanker had issued a distress call after an onboard explosion about 60 nautical miles south of Ahwar, a district in Yemen’s Abyan governorate.
Ambrey said the blast was caused by a projectile fired from an unknown source off the Yemeni coast in the Gulf of Aden. No injuries were reported among the crew, and there was no immediate comment from the Houthis.
The incident came less than three weeks after a Houthi attack on Sept. 29 killed a Filipino sailor when a Dutch-flagged merchant vessel was struck in the Gulf of Aden.
The European naval mission said it successfully carried out a rescue operation for the ship’s 19 crew members.
Human and Material Losses
Western data show that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November have sunk four ships, seized one, and killed at least nine sailors, while 12 crew members remain in Houthi custody.
The attacks have forced several global shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, driving up transport and insurance costs and delaying supply chains.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government says the ongoing assaults reflect the Houthis’ attempt to evade any political settlement, warning that the operations have directly affected the interests of more than 55 countries and threaten freedom of global trade in the Red Sea, one of the world’s key maritime arteries.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has previously claimed responsibility for more than 228 naval operations over the past two years, describing them as part of what he called “support for the Palestinian people.”
In his recent speeches, al-Houthi voiced concern about the post-Gaza ceasefire phase between Israel and Hamas, saying his group was “closely monitoring” whether the agreement would lead to a permanent truce and warning that it could be “a deception.”
He urged his followers to continue mobilization and military preparedness, stressing the need to “enhance defensive capabilities against any potential Israeli or American aggression,” as he put it.
In May, the Houthis stopped attacking US vessels under a deal brokered by Oman, which led to the suspension of a large-scale military campaign ordered by President Donald Trump against the group.
However, the agreement did not cover Israeli-linked ships or vessels the Houthis claim are associated with Tel Aviv.
