Dominica-flagged oil tanker Daisy targeted in Houthi attack as Human Rights Watch raises war crimes concerns

Dominica: The Human Rights Watch reported in an assessment published on September 15, 2026 that the recent Houthi attacks on various commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden lead to war crimes in at least three cases, including an attack on the Dominica-flagged vessel Daisy carrying an oil tanker.

This places the maritime flag of the Commonwealth of Dominica at the forefront of the widening conflict in the Middle East following the claim of the Yemen's Houthi movement of responsibility for the August 5, 2026 attack on the Daisy in the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthi claimed that they had struck the vessel with a ballistic missile and hit the tanker and forced it to reverse course, yet it has not been independently corroborated. The Daisy continued its voyage towards Djibouti and the officials noted that there were no crew injuries reported.

In the September 15 assessment, Human Rights Watch alleged that the evidence shows the Houthis knew that Daisy and other targeted vessels were commercial ships carrying civilians.

Niku Jafarnia, the researcher of Human Rights Watch noted that the attacks on civilian crews that are carried out deliberately can ultimately lead to war crimes.

Human Rights Watch noted that the Houthis attempted and claimed attacks on at least nine vessels in a month dating from July 20 and August 24, 2026.

According to the information received, the authorities and several shipping companies have reportedly confirmed attacks on four vessels, named: the Encelia, Daisy, Tihamah and Amzan.

Also, the Gulf of Aden acts as a gateway through which a substantial share of global trade passes as it links the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Dominica is located thousands of miles away from Yemen, but its maritime registry places vessels under its jurisdiction on international shipping routes, including the waters around the Arabian Peninsula.

The incident raises a wider question for Caribbean states that operate open registries, how vessels flying the flag of a small island nation can be protected when they transit major conflict zones.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Watch has warned the Houthis to immediately end the unlawful attacks on civilian ships that they are carrying out in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.