The US military has reported that the Iran-aligned Houthi group launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a US-owned tanker on Thursday evening, landing in the waters near the vessel without causing injuries or damage. The incident occurred around 9 PM local Yemen time (18:00 GMT), according to a post on X. This event marks the latest in a series of escalating tensions that have disrupted global trade in the Red Sea and raised concerns about supply chain disruptions.
The Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attack earlier on Thursday, stating that they targeted the tanker Kim Ranger with naval missiles, which caused "direct hits." They declared in a statement that "the Yemeni armed forces confirm that the response to American and British aggressions is inevitable, and any new attack will not go unanswered and unpunished."
Tankerktracker.com reported on social media that "a relatively small chemical tanker left the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea en route to Kuwait, but its Automatic Identification System (AIS) stopped functioning on Tuesday before heading south past Yemen."
The Iranian-aligned Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and its surroundings over the past weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and raised concerns among major powers about escalating the conflict in Gaza. The Houthis assert that their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians facing an Israeli assault in Gaza.
Since last week, the US has been carrying out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen and has re-designated the group as a "terrorist" organization this week. President Joe Biden stated on Thursday that airstrikes will continue, acknowledging that they may not stop Houthi attacks. In response to questions from reporters aboard Air Force One, Biden said, "Will it stop the Houthis? No. Will it continue? Yes."
The confrontation poses a threat of expanding the conflict beyond Gaza, where the local health ministry reported that more than 24,000 people, over one percent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, have been killed in the Israeli assault.
