Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have hit a Norwegian tanker with at least one missile, causing a fire.
There were no casualties in the attack.
A Houthi spokesman said the MT Strinda was delivering oil to Israel, but the ship’s owners said it was headed to Italy with feedstock for biofuel.
The group has vowed to block ships of any nation heading to Israel until Israel stops its offensive on Gaza, in what the Houthis say is a show of support for the Palestinians.
The United States has said it will consider “appropriate responses” to any such attacks, which it describes as “fully enabled by Iran”.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the ship was targeted on Monday after its crew refused to respond to warnings.
He said the group had prevented several ships from passing through Yemeni waters in recent days. Credit: bbc.com
