The Houthis on Monday said they launched a missile at an Israeli-owned tanker sailing south-west of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
The Sunday assault on the vessel Scarlet Ray came a day after the Israeli army launched an attack on Yemen’s capital Sanaa that killed the prime minister of the Houthis and other senior officials, prompting the rebel group to pledge revenge.
British maritime security company Ambrey said the Liberia-flagged ship had reported an explosion nearby its location.
The crew reported “a splash in close proximity from an unknown projectile and heard a loud bang”, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said.
Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which manages the tanker, said all crew members were safe and accounted for.
“We are aware of security reports alleging that our managed vessel Scarlet Ray was the target of a suspected Houthi attack,” it said.
“We confirm that the vessel has not sustained any damage and continues to operate under the command of its master.”
Eastern Pacific Shipping is owned by Israeli magnate Idan Ofer, whose late father Sami Ofer built Israel's shipping industry.
An assessment by Ambrey found the Scarlet Ray vessel to be “aligned with” the profile of targets attacked by the Iran-aligned Houthis given that the ship was Israeli-owned.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea that they deem to be affiliated with Israel in what they describe as a campaign of support for the Palestinians in Gaza.
They have launched more than 100 attacks on international shipping, forcing global carriers to reroute around Africa, adding weeks to shipping times and driving up costs.
In July this year, the Houthis attacked and sank the cargo ship Eternity C in the Red Sea using an unmanned explosive boat and six cruise and ballistic missiles. Several crew members were killed.
A day earlier they hit bulk carrier Magic Seas in the same region.
In one of their earliest attacks, the Houthis hijacked the Galaxy Leader, a ship with partial Israeli ownership, in November 2023, taking the crew hostage.
Yanbu is a port city located on western Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Saudi Arabia led a coalition that launched a military campaign in Yemen from early 2015 to support the established Yemeni government against the Houthis, who seized Sanaa in 2014.
The coalition has in the past foiled attempted assaults it says were launched by the Houthis.
