The Houthi’s Al-Masira television said on Saturday that the U.S. and the UK launched two airstrikes that targeted the port of Ras Issa, Yemen’s main oil export terminal.

No further details were immediately available.

The airstrikes came as Yemen’s Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea, including a hit that sparked a fire on a fuel tanker on Friday.

The tanker Marlin Luanda, which was operating on behalf trading firm Trafigura, was damaged but no injuries were reported and a U.S. Navy ship was providing assistance, the U.S. military said.

About eight hours later, the U.S. military destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Red Sea and ready to launch, Central Command said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels since Nov. 19 in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

The attacks have primarily targeted container vessels moving through the Red Sea. Many oil tankers have kept using the route.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Kim Coghill)