Personnel from EU maritime mission Eunavfor Aspides’ transport a casualty during rescue operation following an attack by Yemen’s Houthis on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht, which caught fire in the Gulf of Aden, in this screengrab taken from handout video released on Sept. 30, 2025. Photo: Eunavfor Aspides via X/Handout via REUTERS

The Netherlands called on the EU on Wednesday to sanction Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist group, after the Islamist organization claimed responsibility for an attack on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden.

The Iran-aligned group has launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war on Gaza.

“The Houthis have long posed a serious threat to freedom of navigation,” the Dutch Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Countries including the United States, Israel, Canada, and Australia have labeled the Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, as a terrorist organization.

EU DECISION WOULD IMPLY ECONOMIC SANCTIONS

A potential EU decision to add the group to its terrorist list — which currently includes 13 individuals and 22 groups or entities — would imply economic sanctions and the freezing of funds and assets.

Monday’s strike on the Minervagracht injured two sailors and forced a helicopter evacuation of 19 crew members, according to the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel’s operator.

The Houthis‘ military spokesperson said the attack was carried out by a cruise missile.

Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said Minervagracht was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it was hit, suffering substantial damage and a fire.

The Houthis said they attacked Minervagracht because its owner violated “the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine.”

It was the first Houthi attack on a commercial ship since Sept. 1, when they targeted Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city of Yanbu.

In July, the Houthis attacked and sank the Magic Seas bulk carrier and Eternity C cargo ship in the Red Sea.

The last significant Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden was on the Singapore-flagged Lobivia container ship in July 2024.

People look at the apparent remains of a ballistic missile following a missile attack by Iran on Israel, in northern Israel, June 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Avi Ohayon

The range of Iran’s missiles will be increased to any point deemed necessary, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander told the semi-official Fars news agency on Wednesday, in response to what he said were Western demands to curb Tehran’s missiles.

Demands by the US and some European countries to impose restrictions on Iran’s missile capabilities have been one of the issues blocking the path to a nuclear deal, according to Iranian officials.

Western countries fear Iran’s uranium enrichment program could yield material for an atomic warhead and that it seeks to develop a ballistic missile to carry one. Tehran denies pursuing nuclear weapons.

Iranian missiles have a self-imposed range of 2,000 km, which officials in the past said was enough to protect the country as this range can cover the distance to Israel.

However, as launchers based in Iran’s western provinces were targeted by Israeli fighter jets in June, Tehran gradually launched missiles from further east in its territory – which require longer range.

“Our missiles will reach the range that they need to,” deputy inspector of the Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters Mohammadjafar Asadi told Fars news agency.

He added the power and range of Iranian missiles had limited the war initiated by Israel in June to 12 days. Tehran retaliated with hundreds of missile launches on Israeli territory.

After bombing Iranian nuclear sites which led Iran to target the US Al Udeid base in Qatar, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire to end the conflict.

US President Donald Trump in the Oval office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, Sept. 30, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

US President Donald Trump has pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States’ own security, according to a document published on Wednesday that says US forces could step in to defend the Middle Eastern nation.

The executive order – which appears to significantly deepen the US commitment to its Middle East ally – comes after Israel last month attempted to kill leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha.

That strike, launched with little advance notice to the Trump administration, caused consternation in Washington given the close US relationship with Qatar, which hosts the largest US military base in the region.

PLEDGE TO RESPOND

The document was dated Monday, the day Trump hosted Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and presented a proposal for ending the war in Gaza. Qatar has been a key mediator between the US and Israel and Hamas over the war.

“The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States,” the order said.

“In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”

The document said top US defense and intelligence officials will maintain contingency planning with Qatar to ensure a rapid response to any attacks.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia has long sought similar guarantees as part of Washington’s efforts to normalize relations between Riyadh and Israel, but such a deal has not materialized. Last month, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan.

QATARI JETLINER GIFT

While the president can negotiate collective defense treaties like the one that created NATO, it requires Senate confirmation to become law. An executive order can be repealed by any US president in the future and it is unclear what would compel the US to fulfill the commitment.

Trump‘s order goes beyond a 2022 order by his predecessor Joe Biden that designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, allowing increased military cooperation but falling short of promising to defend Qatar if attacked.

There was no US military response when Qatar came under attack by Iran in June after a US strike on nuclear facilities in Iran.

The Trump administration in May officially accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the military is working to prepare it for use as a new Air Force One to transport President Donald Trump. Trump dismissed legal and ethical concerns over the plane’s transfer.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Doha after the Israeli strike, and said an enhanced defense cooperation agreement was being finalized with Qatar.