Pro-Iran Houthi rebels said Friday they had carried out new raids in the Red Sea. An Israeli bulk carrier was hit.
The situation in the Red Sea is still unstable despite the operations of Western navies patrolling the area.
Missiles launched from Yemen by pro-Iran Houthi rebels hit the Israeli ship Pacific 01 on Friday, Houthi military forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sarea said at a support rally in Gaza in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
The general also claimed that Houthi military forces targeted a US destroyer in the Red Sea with several drones, causing damage to the ship.
While the rebels had promised to intensify attacks during Ramadan, the authorities of the British Maritime Safety Agency (UKMTO) confirmed that a ship had indeed “suffered some damage” without causing any casualties. The ship would have continued on its way to its next port of call.
Since November and the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Houthis have increased attacks against merchant and sometimes military ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, pushing many shipowners to avoid these essential passages for international trade.
Israel’s first ally, Washington set up a multinational coalition in December to protect maritime traffic without managing to stop the attacks. Since mid-January, the United States and the United Kingdom have carried out several strikes against rebel positions, which designated American and British ships as “legitimate targets” after initially claiming to target ships “linked to Israel “.
The US Central Command said on Friday that the Houthis had fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles. He said no injuries or damage had been reported.