Houthis in Yemen have claimed to have directly hit a US ship

Houthis in Yemen have claimed to have directly hit a US ship, per AP.

Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for targeting an American warship in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab strait, as stated in a video release by the group's spokesperson.

The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, stated, "In support of the Palestinian people and in response to American-British aggression against our country, we engaged today in a clash with several American navy destroyers and warships in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait while they were protecting two American commercial cargo vessels."

According to Sarea, the Houthi missiles successfully hit an American warship and compelled two American commercial vessels to "retreat from entering the Red Sea."

In response, the U.S. Central Command reported on social media that the Houthis targeted a U.S.-flagged commercial ship with anti-ship missiles around 2 p.m. Sanaa time (1100 GMT). The USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer, intercepted two of the missiles, while the third landed in the sea. Fortunately, there were no injuries or damage to the ship, identified as the M/V Maersk Detroit.

Tensions in the Red Sea have been escalating, with the Houthis justifying their attacks on commercial vessels as a show of solidarity with the Palestinians. Simultaneously, the U.S. and Britain have conducted airstrikes on Houthi targets to prevent disruptions to maritime traffic.

Last week, the Houthis heightened their attacks on U.S. warships, pledging to strike any U.S. or British vessel in the region in retaliation for airstrikes on their positions in Yemen.