A ship has reported being attacked with a missile in the Red Sea, 72 nautical miles (133 km) northwest of the port of Mokha, off Yemen, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency and British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Friday.
"A Panama-flagged tanker was reportedly targeted by a missile. The vessel experienced an explosion in the vicinity of the vessel and reportedly sustained minor damage. The crew was reported safe and unharmed," Ambrey reported.
Another vessel 3 nautical miles to the northeast of the tanker was observed altering course to port, away from the tanker, Ambrey added.
Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they will press on with attacks on Red Sea shipping in solidarity with the Palestinians, as long as Israel continues to commit "crimes" against them.
"Our operations have a big impact on the enemy which constitute a great success and a real triumph," Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday.
The Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping and forced firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread and destabilise the wider Middle East.
