A tanker operating in the Gulf of Aden came under fire from a small skiff on Monday, marking the second vessel to be attacked in the region within a single day, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.
The attack occurred at approximately 13:35 UTC on June 15, 2026, around 111 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen. As reported by Ship & Bunker, UKMTO confirmed via a social media post that the tanker was approached by a skiff carrying four armed individuals, who subsequently fired on the vessel using an RPG.
Second Incident in One Day
This attack did not happen in isolation. According to Ship & Bunker, a container ship had also been fired upon earlier the same day in the Gulf of Aden, making this the second such incident within a matter of hours.
The identity of those responsible has not been established. While Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has carried out numerous attacks on commercial vessels in the region, Ship & Bunker notes there is no confirmed link to the Houthis in this instance. Equally, a connection to piracy has not been ruled in or out.
Timing Raises Questions
The attack came just one day after the United States and Iran announced a preliminary agreement on Sunday intended to reduce tensions between the two countries. Despite this diplomatic development, the incident underlines that security conditions in the Gulf of Aden remain volatile and unpredictable, as Ship & Bunker reports.
Does This Matter to You?
The Gulf of Aden sits at one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. An RPG attack on a tanker — and a second vessel targeted the same day — signals that the threat environment in this corridor has not diminished, regardless of broader geopolitical negotiations.
Route planning, war risk insurance assessments, and real-time threat monitoring all depend on an accurate picture of conditions in this area. The unconfirmed nature of who carried out the attack adds a layer of complexity, since it means the incident cannot simply be categorised under the established pattern of Houthi activity that has shaped industry responses in recent years. Whether this reflects an emerging secondary threat, an isolated incident, or something else entirely remains unclear based on currently available information.
Gulf Bunkering does not provide operational or security guidance. This article is for informational purposes only. Operators should consult flag state authorities, P&I clubs, and relevant advisories for decisions relating to transit planning.
Sources: Ship & Bunker
