Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels fired two missiles late on January 2 at merchant ships traveling in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait, the US military said, following a report by Britain's maritime security agency UKMTO.
Maritime Trade Operations initially reported explosions near a cargo ship sailing between the coasts of Eritrea and Yemen.
"The captain reports that there is no damage to the vessel and the crew is safe at this time," the agency, run by Britain's Royal Navy, said in a brief statement.
US Central Command later said Houthi rebels had fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, where numerous merchant ships were present, but "none of them reported any damage".
"These illegal actions have endangered the lives of dozens of innocent seafarers and continue to disrupt the free flow of international trade," CENTCOM said on X, previously on Twitter, adding that it was the 24th attack on merchant shipping in the area since November 19 this way.
The UN Security Council will hold a meeting today on the maintenance of international peace and security, which, according to French diplomats, will address the issue of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
In recent weeks, Houthi rebels have carried out multiple drone and missile strikes targeting merchant ships transiting the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis stand in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas militants.
The group controls the Yemeni capital Sana'a and much of the country's Black Sea coast, and has warned it will attack ships sailing in the Red Sea that have ties to Israel.
Several missiles and drones were shot down by US, French and British warships patrolling the area.
According to the Pentagon, the Houthis have carried out dozens of drone and missile attacks, attacking a dozen merchant ships.
The attacks threaten the transit route, which carries up to 12% of world trade, prompting the US to create a multinational naval task force to protect shipping in the Red Sea./BGNES
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