The attack on the Eternity C, which killed at least three of the crew, represents the most serious assault carried out by the Houthis in the crucial maritime trade route.

Israel has carried out its first strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since the Israel-Iran ceasefire, attacking ports and a power plant around midnight local time Sunday night into Monday morning.

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels claimed responsibility Wednesday for a deadly attack that sank a merchant vessel earlier this week, their second attack on Red Sea shipping in 24 hours as they resumed their campaign in the key waterway.