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.
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