Sanaa: The Houthis claimed responsibility for targeting a British merchant vessel in the Red Sea as part of their campaign to disrupt shipping in protest of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Earlier reports indicated an explosion near a vessel’s starboard side off Yemen’s Hodeidah coast, but it remains uncertain if this was the targeted ship.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations confirmed the safety of the vessel and crew. The Houthi spokesperson stated that attacks on shipping will continue until the Gaza siege ends.
The US and UK have conducted strikes on Houthi targets and re-designated the group as terrorists amid regional tensions sparked by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have been launching drones and missiles at commercial vessels since November. The conflict has led to incidents in other parts of the Middle East, including clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in Lebanon and attacks by Iraqi armed groups on US forces in Iraq.
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