The Netherlands has called on the European Union to add Yemen’s Houthi movement to its list of terrorist organisations after the group claimed responsibility for an attack on a Dutch-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden.

The attack targeted the Minervagracht, a general cargo vessel operated by Amsterdam-based Spliethoff. The incident injured two crew members and required the evacuation of 19 sailors by helicopter.

The vessel suffered significant damage and caught fire, according to the EU maritime mission Aspides and the ship’s operator.

The Houthis’ military spokesperson said the strike was carried out using a cruise missile. The group said the attack was in response to the vessel owner allegedly violating a ban on entering ports in “occupied Palestine.”

If the EU approves the Netherlands’ proposal, it would result in economic sanctions against the Houthis, including freezing their funds and assets. At present, the EU lists 13 individuals and 22 organisations or entities as terrorist groups.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry stated that the Houthis have posed a long-standing threat to freedom of navigation. Several other countries, including the United States, Israel, Australia and Canada, already designate the Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, as a terrorist organisation.

The latest attack was the first known Houthi assault on a commercial vessel since 1 September, when they targeted the Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Yanbu, a Saudi Red Sea port city.

In July, the Houthis sank two vessels, the Magic Seas bulk carrier and the Eternity C cargo ship, in the Red Sea. The last major incident in the Gulf of Aden was in July 2024, when the Singapore-flagged container ship Lobivia came under attack.

Reference: Reuters

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