Overview

• Israeli air defences intercepted a missile launched from Yemen toward southern Israel, triggering sirens and an activation of the Iron Dome system.
• Armed skiffs and bomb-carrying drone boats attacked a northbound merchant vessel 51 nautical miles off Hodeidah, setting it ablaze and causing the crew to abandon ship.
• Maritime security firm Ambrey reported that eight skiffs and multiple suicide drone boats engaged the vessel, with guards destroying several drones while others struck the hull.
• In retaliation, Israeli jets struck Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif ports along with the Ras Qantib power plant and targeted the Houthi-seized Galaxy Leader ship.
• The exchanges threaten to further disrupt the Bab el-Mandeb corridor, which handles about $1 trillion in annual trade, and raise risks of a wider regional escalation.