The global maritime security landscape continues to shift rapidly, with new threats emerging across strategic waterways from the Gulf of Aden to the Arabian Sea. This week’s Dryad Global Maritime Intelligence Brief highlights three key developments shaping the risk picture for shipping and maritime operations.
On 29 September 2025, the Dutch-flagged MV Minervagracht was struck by an anti-ship cruise missile while transiting the Gulf of Aden — the latest in a series of Houthi attacks targeting commercial shipping. The strike is believed to have involved a Mandab-2 missile launched from Al Bayda Province in Yemen, a system derived from Iranian and Chinese designs and part of a growing Houthi arsenal supplied via complex smuggling networks.
Despite U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeting Houthi missile infrastructure and supply routes throughout 2025, including key operations at Ras Isa and Hodeidah, the group has maintained the capability to threaten the Maritime Security Transit Corridor.
Key developments:
Iran continues to supply ballistic and cruise missiles, drones, and components via maritime smuggling routes and overland networks through Oman.
Cooperation with groups such as al-Shabaab is helping sustain Houthi resupply efforts.
Shorter-range systems with radar guidance and the use of covert spotters on fishing vessels are enabling more precise targeting.
The result is an ongoing and significant risk to commercial traffic in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes linking the Suez Canal, Djibouti, and East Africa.
On 4 October 2025, Qatar took the unprecedented step of halting all maritime navigation in its waters due to a major GPS malfunction, disrupting tanker and LNG traffic at critical export terminals, including Ras Laffan.
The decision followed escalating incidents of GPS jamming and spoofing across the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, with vessels reporting false AIS positions inland near Bandar Abbas. Previous incidents — such as the June tanker collision off Fujairah and the May grounding of the MSC Antonia — underline the operational risks of such interference.
The latest disruption is believed to be linked to rising Iran-Israel tensions and represents a significant escalation in electronic warfare in the region. Qatar’s priority on export safety underlines the vulnerability of global LNG flows to non-kinetic threats like GPS spoofing.
Meanwhile, the Arabian Sea has seen renewed signs of Somali piracy activity. On 25 September, a merchant vessel reported being approached by a dhow towing four skiffs 540NM east of Socotra, behaviour consistent with a pirate mothership. On 5 October, a Portugal-flagged tanker sighted another suspected mothership with three skiffs 500NM east of Socotra. Both vessels successfully avoided engagement through evasive manoeuvres.
These incidents underscore a growing piracy threat beyond traditional high-risk areas, adding complexity to an already challenging operating environment dominated by missile threats, electronic interference, and regional geopolitical tensions.
The convergence of state-sponsored threats, asymmetric tactics, and criminal activity across critical sea lanes means that situational awareness and proactive risk management are more essential than ever. Key takeaways for shipping operators, charterers, and insurers include:
Maintain heightened vigilance when transiting the Gulf of Aden, particularly within the Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC).
Monitor for GPS anomalies in the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz and prepare for navigational disruptions.
Adopt best management practices (BMP5) and ensure crew readiness to respond to piracy approaches in the Arabian Sea.
Incorporate cyber and electronic warfare risks into voyage planning and security assessments.
Dryad Global provides industry-leading maritime intelligence, cyber risk solutions, and situational awareness tools to support safer, more informed decision-making across the global maritime domain.
👉 Stay ahead of emerging threats — subscribe to the Maritime Intelligence Brief for weekly intelligence updates and expert analysis.