CAIRO (Reuters) -The U.S. military on Monday denied claims made by the Yemeni Houthi movement that it had attacked American cargo ship Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden.
“The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists’ report of an alleged successful attack on M/V Ocean Jazz is patently false,” the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement. “NAVCENT has maintained constant communications with M/V Ocean Jazz throughout its safe transit.”
The Houthi movement earlier in the day said its forces had launched a missile attack on Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden. It did not say when or precisely where the attack took place or if any damage was caused.
“The Yemeni armed forces continue to retaliate to any American or British aggression against our country by targeting all sources of threat in the Red and Arab Sea,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement.
U.S. and British forces have launched strikes across Yemen against Houthi forces in recent weeks in response to months of Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping that the Iran-backed fighters cast as a response to the war in Gaza.
The Houthis, who initially said they were only targeting vessels linked to Israel, said they would also attack U.S. vessels after the strikes.
British maritime security firm Ambrey said the vessel named by the Houthis on Monday had been contracted by the U.S. military.
Houthi attacks on ships in and around the Red Sea have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed world powers in an escalation of the war in Gaza.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack from Israel in Gaza.
(Reporting by Hatem Maher and Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Jan Harvey, Andrew Heavens and Mark Porter)
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