A Houthi strike has hit a British operated ship in the Red Sea in the latest targeted attack against commercial shipping, according to reports.

The vessel, named as KOI, was operating south of Yemen’s port of Aden and reported an explosion earlier this morning. 

Reuters have reported that the KOI is a Liberian-flagged container ship operated by UK-based Oceonix Services.

It comes as the United States carried out strikes in Yemen against 10 attack drones reportedly ready to launch and a ground control station.

A US warship also shot down an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis and later downed three Iranian drones, the US military said.

While the US has recently launched strikes on the Houthis and other Tehran-supported groups in the region, both it and Iran have sought to avoid a direct confrontation, and the downing of three Iranian drones could heighten tensions.

The Houthis regard all Israeli, US and British ships as legitimate targets following Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.

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