An LPG tanker struck by an unknown projectile in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday was carrying an Iranian cargo, TankerTrackers reported, while Iranian state media denied the vessel had links to Iran.
The Falcon (IMO 9014432), a 31-year-old, Cameroon-flagged vessel owned by an Indian company, was laden with liquefied petroleum gas loaded in Iran's Assaluyeh on September 25, the tracking firm said.
The tanker was most likely en route to Yemen’s Ras Isa terminal to deliver fuel to Tehran-backed Houthis, according to Tanker Trackers.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency, citing informed sources, denied that the vessel had any links to Iran.
An informed source at the Iranian Oil Ministry also told IRGC-affiliated Fars News that the vessel does not belong to the Ministry of Oil or the National Iranian Tanker Company.
However, the Falcon had earlier been flagged by the US-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) as part of an alleged Iranian “ghost fleet” that transports oil products across international waters in violation of global sanctions.
The vessel was previously detained in Istanbul in January 2025 for 13 safety deficiencies, according to port inspection data.
Authorities said 25 of the 26 crew members have been accounted for, while one remains missing. The ship has no known insurer and is not currently listed on any international sanctions or blacklist databases.
Houthi-linked media outlets on Telegram and X denied any involvement in the incident, citing unnamed sources in the group’s defense ministry.
The Falcon had earlier signaled Djibouti as its next destination and made recent port calls in Iraq and Oman’s Sohar, in a pattern similar to that of the Clipper (IMO 9102198), which was struck off Yemen in August.
Since November 2023, Houthi forces have attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying the campaign is a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The armed group, which governs around two-thirds of Yemen’s population, has claimed responsibility for dozens of missile and drone strikes on Israel-bound targets and vessels linked to the Jewish state.
According to figures compiled by the Associated Press, nearly 100 international ships have been attacked in the region since the campaign began, resulting in the sinking of four vessels and the deaths of several mariners.
