Ahead of US-Iran attack, tanker crews brace for the worst? Fears grow over new Gulf of Aden threat

Fresh panic has erupted across the Gulf of Aden after multiple commercial vessels reported encounters with armed skiffs near Yemen-linked waters. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations said suspicious boats carrying armed men, ladders and high-powered engines approached tankers at dangerously close range. One craft reportedly came within just 100 metres of a commercial vessel before armed guards were deployed. The incidents come amid renewed fears over maritime security, Iran-linked escalation and possible disruptions to global oil routes if war tensions between Tehran, Washington and Israel spiral further across the region’s strategic shipping lanes.