Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis targeted bulk carrier Propel Fortune in the Gulf of Aden, the group’s military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech early on Saturday. He also said they targeted “a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones”.

The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November 2023 in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during the war in Gaza.

Early on Saturday, American Navy ships and aircraft shot down 15 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) by Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea area, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The military was responding to a large-scale attack by the Houthis launched into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 4 a.m. and 6.30 am, CENTCOM said in a post on social media platform X.

The UAVs were determined to present “an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US Navy, and coalition ships in the region”, it said.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday that the US will continue to hold Yemen’s Houthis accountable for attacks on international shipping.

Sarea said they would continue their attacks “until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted”.