Houthi rebels claimed responsibility Saturday for a missile attack on a Panamanian-flagged British oil in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen, amid an escalation in recent days against ships.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said that Houthi naval forces carried out an “attack on a British oil tanker ('Pollux') in the Red Sea with a large number of appropriate naval missiles, and the attacks were precise and direct”, without giving more details.

The Pollux tanker sails under the flag of Panama and is heading to India, where it is expected to arrive in less than two weeks despite the attack.

The Royal Navy reported that the naval alliance led by the United States was responding to the ship's distress call, which reported that it had been attacked with missiles, although the crew and ship were safe.

Sarea said that the Houthis "persist in their military operations, imposing a blockade on Israeli shipping in the Red and Arabian Sea until a ceasefire is achieved and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted " adding: “They will not hesitate to implement and expand their military operations.”

This attack occurred on the same day that the designation of the Houthis as a “terrorist” group by the United States came into effect a month after the announcement.

Yesterday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for another attack against a cargo ship owned by the United Kingdom. This country participates with the United States in attacks against the rebels in Yemen.

Since last November 19, the Houthis have launched around thirty attacks against merchant ships from different countries transiting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb, ensuring that the ships either belonged to Israel or were heading to an Israeli port.

The tension in the area has caused the main shipping companies worldwide to continue adjusting their routes to avoid crossing the Red Sea, through which passes 8% of the world's grain trade, 12% of the oil trade, and 8% of the world trade in liquefied natural gas.

EFE News agency