On Saturday, Yemen's Houthis claimed that their missiles struck the India-bound Andromeda Star oil tanker in the Red Sea. This is an addition to the series of attacks targeting commercial vessels in the region, allegedly in solidarity with Palestinians engaged in conflict with Israel in the Gaza war.

The US Central Command confirmed that the Iran-backed Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen into the Red Sea, resulting in minor damage to the Andromeda Star.

The tanker was engaged in Russia-linked trade and was en route from Russia's Primorsk to India's Vadinar.

It said that a missile landed in the vicinity of a second vessel, the MV Maisha, but it was not damaged.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea stated that the Panama-flagged Andromeda Star was British-owned. However, shipping data indicates that it was recently sold, according to information from LSEG and Ambrey.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations security agency reported that the attack occurred southwest of the Yemeni port of Mokha. According to their statement, the second attack on the vessel involved what is believed to be two missiles, resulting in damage.

Its current owner is Seychelles-registered.

Since November, Houthi militants, aligned with Iran, have carried out numerous drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden. These attacks have compelled shipping companies to redirect their cargo along longer and more costly routes around southern Africa. There are concerns that this escalation may further destabilise the Middle East, particularly amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The recent assault on the Andromeda Star follows a temporary halt in the Houthis' targeting of vessels with connections to Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier sailed out of the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on Friday after assisting a US-led coalition to protect commercial shipping.

The Houthis on Friday said they downed an American MQ-9 drone in the airspace of Yemen's Saada province.

Image source: Reuters