The rebels Houthis claim to have targeted two civilian ships and a US Navy destroyer off the coast of Yemen.
The destroyer and an oil tanker were hit by missiles in the Red Sea, while a second oil tanker was targeted by drones in the Arabian Sea.
A large international force is positioned in the area to prevent a blockade of this crucial maritime corridor for the transport of goods between Asia, Europe and the Middle East, but Houthi attacks have reduced this traffic by half .
The Houthis began targeting shipping in November in solidarity with Palestine, but the strikes often hit ships that have nothing to do with the war.
Anti-Western demonstrations have regularly taken place in the capital Sanaa since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
