Israeli officials called for an international coalition to halt the threat the Houthi Iranian proxy group poses to international shipping in the Red Sea.
"The Houthis have crossed a redline in the Red Sea,” President Isaac Herzog stated in a message he posted on X.
“The US-led international activities against the Houthi terror pirates must be bolstered and strengthened in the form of a truly international coalition,” he stated.
Herzog said that the “continued acts of terrorism and piracy against ships of all nationalities and ownerships require the entire international community to act, united, forcefully and decisively, to stamp out this vile threat to the global economy and trade.”
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called on the international community to act “aggressively” to protect the shipping lanes.
Houthi attacks intensify against maritime traffic
A tanker in the Red Sea off Yemen's coast was fired on by gunmen in a speedboat and targeted with missiles, maritime sources said on Wednesday, the latest incident to threaten the shipping lane after Yemeni Houthi forces warned ships not to travel to Israel.
A second commercial vessel was also approached by the speedboat in the same area though not attacked, British maritime security firm Ambrey and other sources said.
Separately, a US defense official in Washington said the US Navy destroyer Mason on Wednesday shot down a Houthi drone launched from Yemen that was headed in its direction, as it responded to reports of an attack on a commercial vessel.
The US official said Houthis had attacked the commercial vessel Ardmore Encounter in skiffs and that two missiles were fired from Yemen that missed the ship. The Ardmore Encounter reported no damage or injuries and continued on its way.
Ardmore Shipping Corp, owner and operator of the Ardmore Encounter, confirmed the vessel came under attack while transiting the Red Sea.
"No one boarded the vessel and all crew members are safe and accounted for. The vessel remains fully operational with no loss of cargo or damage onboard, and is considered to be out of immediate danger," the company said in a statement, adding the ship "received military assistance during the attack."
The Iran-aligned Houthi group has sought to support their Palestinian ally Hamas in the Gaza war by firing missiles at Israel and threatening shipping in the busy Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest incidents in the busy shipping route off Yemen's coast.