In the latest development in the Red Sea crisis, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels set fire to a Netherlands-flagged cargo ship this week in the Gulf of Aden, adjacent to the Red Sea. It was the largest attack on a vessel in the Red Sea since July 2025, and there were two injuries. Fortunately, there have been no deaths from the attack.
The vessel Minervagracht, owned by Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, was also targeted by Houthi rebels a week prior, but that attack did not succeed, a concerning development that the same vessel was targeted twice.
The attack was another setback for a return to normalcy in shipping.
The attack came after another relative lull in the attacks in the Red Sea, which have been ongoing since the October 7th attacks by Hamas on Israel. The U.S. and other countries condemned Hamas, and Iranian-backed Houthis began attacking vessels in the Red Sea in retaliation for countries’ support of Israel. Although not officially affiliated with any country, the Houthis receive their funding from Iran’s military proxies. They are based out of Yemen.
A significant escalation from the Houthis
Targeting a vessel in the Gulf of Aden is a significant escalation for the Houthis. There have no attacks in the Gulf of Aden since mid-2024. The Houthis have vowed to increase attacks on shipping vessels in the Middle East region to put pressure on foreign policymakers to not provide political support and security to Israel. In July 2025, the group announced that it would begin targeting any ship that calls an Israeli port, following the first attack in the Red Sea since December 2024.
Since the October 7th attacks on Israel, the attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and surrounding region have forced shippers to re-route their vessels around the Cape of Africa, which adds days and delays to shipping journeys.
When will the crisis, and the chaos, end for shipping?
As we enter the last quarter of 2025, it’s worth asking when the chaos will come to an end. It’s just under two years since the October 7th attacks, and the crisis has not ended. Political tensions between Israel and Hamas rage on, even as signs of a ceasefire emerge before quickly being snuffed out.
If the shipping industry is going to see a calmer and more certain playing field, the Israel-Hamas conflict will play a huge part. Once the Red Sea crisis finally comes to an end, more questions will emerge: how will the industry prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future? Additionally, what security measures will be in place to keep the peace for vessels in the region? These are all key questions that need to be asked as we approach 2026.
