The Houthis have vowed to target all US and British warships operating in waters near Yemen in “self defence”.

Ameen Hayyan, the group’s military spokesman, said: “All American and British warships in the Red [Sea]... will be targeted within the right of legitimate defence of our country”.

He added that all American and British warships participating in “aggression” against its country were targets.

It comes as the Iran-backed rebels  fired “several” missiles at a US warship in the Red Sea on Wednesday morning, hours after the US military reported shooting down a missile.

“The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of God Almighty, fired several... naval missiles at the American destroyer USS Gravely in the Red Sea,” the Houthi statement said.

Earlier, US Central Command said the USS Gravely shot down a Houthi missile at about 11:30 pm (2030 GMT) on Tuesday - the latest in a series of such incidents in the Red Sea.

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