As part of their latest protest against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis attacked the Norwegian tanker STRINDA on Tuesday.
A rocket was fired at the tanker after its crew refused to respond to warnings, Houthi military spokesperson Yehia Sareea said.
Houthis will continue to block ships heading to Israeli ports until Israel allows food and medical aid into Gaza Strip, more than 1,000 miles from Houthi headquarters in Sanaa.
About 2100 GMT, a U.S. official told Reuters that the attack occurred 60 nautical miles (111 km) north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. A second U.S. official said the STRINDA was able to move under its own power in the hours following the attack.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the U.S. military’s Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said there were no U.S. ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the (U.S. Navy destroyer) USS MASON responded to the M/T STRINDA’s mayday call and is currently rendering assistance.
In a statement, the U.S. military said the attack caused fire and damage, but no casualties.
As a support for Palestinians, the Houthis obstruct the passage of several ships in recent days.
