Maritime Hub · Port
Assab, Eritrea
Assessment
Threat: Substantial
Close to the strait; subject of Ethiopian sea-access rhetoric.
Exposure context from the assessed Bab el-Mandeb judgement (Severe, stable). Threat level is a Mazin Intel analytical judgement from public sources, not a live feed or official rating.
What changed
Choose a date to see what has been recorded since.
- 9 curated major incidents within 500 km
- 0 logged incidents within about 300 km from Maritime Watch
- Assessment: no change to the Substantial rating is recorded. Ratings are not yet versioned, so earlier levels cannot be shown.
Linked incidents
2026-06-14 · Piracy / boarding · Two merchant vessels (names not released) (423 km)
Armed skiffs attacked a containership and a tanker in separate incidents, including an attempted boarding and an RPG launch. No casualties were immediately reported.
gCaptain, citing UKMTO · curated record, position approximate
2026-05-02 · Hijack · Eureka (471 km)
Togo-flagged tanker bound for Bosaso hijacked at anchor off Qana Port, Shabwa, Yemen, and sailed to the northern Somali coast.
EU NAVFOR Atalanta · curated record, position approximate
2025-07-07 · Sinking · Eternity C (187 km)
Bulk carrier sunk; several crew killed and others reported taken by Houthi forces.
Reuters · curated record, position approximate
2025-07-06 · Sinking · Magic Seas (226 km)
Bulk carrier sunk by Houthi attack, ending a months-long lull.
UKMTO · curated record, position approximate
2024-08-21 · Missile / drone · Sounion (239 km)
Loaded tanker attacked and set alight, creating a major oil-spill risk.
EU NAVFOR Aspides · curated record, position approximate
2024-06-12 · Sinking · Tutor (195 km)
Bulk carrier struck by an explosive boat; one crew member killed; ship later sank.
UKMTO · curated record, position approximate
2024-03-06 · Missile / drone · True Confidence (257 km)
Three crew killed — the first deaths from the Houthi campaign.
UKMTO · curated record, position approximate
2024-03-02 · Sinking · Rubymar (59 km)
Fertiliser carrier sank after a February missile strike — the first ship lost in the campaign.
Reuters · curated record, position approximate
2023-11-19 · Hijack · Galaxy Leader (240 km)
Houthi forces seized the car carrier by helicopter; crew held until January 2025.
Reuters · curated record, position approximate
Nearby chokepoints
- Bab el-Mandeb Severe
About 75 km · trend stable
- Gulf of Aden Severe
About 627 km · trend stable
- Somali Basin Substantial
About 1,358 km · trend rising