The Iran-backed Houthis said they have targeted a container ship in the Red Sea without recording any damage, a move confirmed by Western sources.
The incident coincides with the UN Security Council preparing for a session to discuss the threats to navigation in the Red Sea.
Western politicians responded firmly, hinting at potential countermeasures to stop these threats.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea announced in a televised speech the attack, saying the group "targeted" the CMA CGM Tage container ship without elaborating, claiming that it was heading to the ports of occupied Palestine. The shipping firm denied the allegations.
Sarea indicated that the Houthis had sent out warning messages to the ship and that its crew had paid no heed. He warned Washington of any aggression against it, saying, "no US attack will pass without a response or punishment."
The spokesman reiterated the Houthis maintain that they will persist in their attacks until aid enters Gaza.
According to US Navy data, this marks the 25th Houthi attack against international shipping in the Red Sea, amid fears of the expansion of the conflict in Gaza, especially with Iran deploying two warships to the region.
- Attack fails to cause damage
Western sources confirmed the latest Houthi attack.
US Central Command reported late Tuesday evening that the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles in the southern Red Sea, but no damage was recorded.
The Central Command added that multiple commercial ships in the area reported the impact of the anti-ship ballistic missiles into the surrounding water.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received reports of up to three explosions 1-5nm from a merchant vessel in the Bab el-Mandab East of Assab, Eritrea.
UKMTO indicated that authorities are still investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, the French shipping firm CMA CGM reported that the vessel was unharmed and had suffered no incident.
The company told Reuters the ship had been headed for Egypt, not Israel.
- Houthi insistence and Western threats
The Houthi attacks sparked Yemeni and international outrage, as Western countries vowed to confront this escalation.
Washington formed a coalition called the Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect navigation in the Red Sea.
On Tuesday, the US State Department reported that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed support for freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea with his British counterpart David Cameron.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on the "X" platform that the two ministers also discussed improving the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
On Tuesday, Denmark's Maersk and German rival Hapag-Lloyd said their container ships would continue to avoid the Red Sea route that gives access to the Suez Canal following a weekend attack on one of Maersk's vessels.
Both shipping giants have been re-routing some sailings via Africa's southern Cape of Good Hope as Yemen-based Houthi militants attack cargo vessels in the Red Sea, according to Western sources.
The Suez Canal is used by roughly one-third of global container ship cargo. Redirecting ships around the southern tip of Africa is expected to cost up to $1 million in extra fuel for every round trip between Asia and northern Europe.
Concerns about the possible disruption to the Middle Eastern supply after the latest Red Sea attack drove oil prices higher in the first trading session 2024.
Despite Western warnings, the Houthi group remains determined in its attacks, with the Yemeni government alleging these actions serve Iran's agenda rather than supporting Palestine.
In his latest statements, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a cousin of the group's leader, vowed more attacks, saying the operations will escalate as long as the support for genocide and crimes against Palestinian people continues.
He added: "We have one red line, which is for the aggression to stop and for the siege imposed on the people of Gaza to be lifted."
