A US cargo ship was hit by a missile fired by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen on Monday, Washington said, a day after another attack on a US destroyer in the southern Red Sea was also blamed on Yemeni rebels, AFP reported.

Around 4:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT), “Houthi rebels supported by Iran launched an anti-ship ballistic missile (…) and hit the Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship owned by an American shipowner,” the military said US Middle East Command (Centcom).

“The vessel reported no casualties or significant damage and continues sailing,” it added.

Rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack

The Houthis “conducted a military operation targeting a US ship in the Gulf of Aden with a series of appropriate sea-based missiles”, their military spokesman Yahya Sari announced, describing the US and British ships as “enemy targets”.

According to the UK Maritime Safety Agency (UKMTO), the cargo ship “was hit by a missile from above” southeast of the southern Yemeni city of Aden.

Houthi rebels, who control large swaths of Yemen, have stepped up attacks in recent weeks on ships they suspect have ties to Israel, disrupting shipping in the vital area for global trade. They say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel and Hamas have been fighting since October 7.

According to the British maritime risk company Ambrey, the vessel, which departed from Aden, was bound for the Suez Canal.