The Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a British-linked vessel and fired at a U.S. Navy warship in the Red Sea region on Friday, according to the U.S. military, as tensions in the Middle East’s Israel–Hamas war escalate.
The Marshall-Islands flagged oil tanker Marlin Luanda, operated by a U.K. company, was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen while sailing through the Gulf of Aden, U.S. Central Command announced. The militant group’s attack on the commercial vessel occurred around 7:45 p.m. local time Friday. The ship sustained damage but reported no injuries.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also confirmed the attack, acknowledging the vessel was struck and on fire. In a follow-up statement on Saturday, multinational trading company Trafigura said the crew was safe and the fire had been extinguished.
Tensions continue to escalate in Yemen and the Red Sea since Hamas, another Iran-backed terrorist group, invaded Israel on October 7 and killed more than 1,000 people. The Houthis have pledged to disrupt international trade in the region as a means of pressuring Israel into ending the conflict.
The Houthis also fired an anti-ship ballistic missile toward the USS Carney earlier Friday before the projectile was ultimately deflected, Central Command said in a separate statement. The attack occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time Friday.
This marks the first time that a U.S. warship has been directly targeted by the militia since its attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes began in mid November.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the strike on the Marlin Luanda, but did not acknowledge the USS Carney attack.
In response, U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was being prepared to launch around 3:45 a.m. Saturday. “This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” Central Command said Saturday morning.
The Houthis have vowed to continue assaulting Red Sea commercial shipping in protest of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, even as the U.S. forcefully retaliates. Earlier this week, the U.S. and U.K. launched a second round of preemptive strikes on missile-launching areas and weapons caches used by the Yemen-based Houthis.