Houthis fire two ballistic missiles at US-owned tanker without causing injuries or damages

The US Army stated that the Houthi group, aligned with Iran, launched two ballistic anti-ship missiles at a US-owned tanker on Thursday evening, near the ship, without causing injuries or damages.

The incident occurred at around 9:00 PM local time in Yemen (1800 GMT), according to a post on X. This comes amid increasing tensions that have disrupted global trade in the Red Sea, raising concerns about supply disruptions.

Earlier on Thursday, the Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they targeted the ship "Kim Ranger" with naval missiles, causing "direct hits."

In a statement, they said, "The Yemeni armed forces confirm that a response to American and British aggressions is inevitable, and any new aggression will not go without a response and punishment."

According to the TankerTracker.com ship tracking service on social media, a "somewhat small chemical tanker" had left the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea on its way to Kuwait, but its automatic identification system stopped working on Tuesday before heading south through Yemen.

The attacks by the Houthi group, aligned with Iran, on ships in the Red Sea and its surroundings in recent weeks have slowed down trade between Asia and Europe, causing concern among significant powers about the escalation of the conflict in Gaza.

The Houthis state that their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians facing Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Reuters