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Chemical tanker seized off Yemen coast in suspected Somali pirate hijack

⁠Armed assailants are believed to have boarded the chemical tanker Asana off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden on Friday and…

By Samantha Johnson / July 17, 2026
⁠Armed assailants are believed to have boarded the chemical tanker Asana off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden on Friday and are in control of the vessel, according to maritime ‌security sources.
Based on initial assessments, the incident appeared to be related to ‌Somali piracy rather than Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia, one of the maritime security sources said.

The small tanker, which had no confirmed flag, had listed the Somali port of Bosaso as its next destination, ship tracking data showed.

A vessel was boarded by unauthorised personnel while transiting east in ‌the Gulf of Aden, 65 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Al Mukalla port, the British navy agency UKMTO said on Friday.

“Details ‌regarding the number of assailants, the circumstances of the boarding, and ⁠the status of ⁠the vessel and crew remain unclear,” British maritime risk management group Vanguard said.

Satellite imagery shows Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping waterway, on Sunday. Iran has threatened to use Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the gateway to the Red Sea. Photo: Nasa Worldview/Reuters
Satellite imagery shows Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping waterway, on Sunday. Iran has threatened to use Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the gateway to the Red Sea. Photo: Nasa Worldview/Reuters

Efforts were under way to assist the Asana tanker and determine the circumstances of ⁠what happened, said an official with the European Union’s Aspides naval mission, which is ‌active in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region. A South Korean warship was in the area, the official said.

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