Danish shipping company Maersk on Thursday night denied a claim by Yemen's Houthi movement that they had carried out a drone strike on a Maersk vessel sailing towards Israel, Reuters reports.
The Houthis earlier claimed they carried out a military operation against a Maersk container vessel, directly hitting it with a drone, but did not provide evidence for the claim.
Maersk on Thursday said ship Maersk Gibraltar was targeted by a missile while travelling from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and that the crew and vessel were reported safe.
"The vessel was not hit," a Maersk spokesperson told Reuters.
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Houthis shot at the Maersk vessel but missed and were unsuccessful in forcing the ship to stop. The official added that U.S. forces were not in area at the time of the incident.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have upped their attacks since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
On Saturday, the Houthi rebels threatened to attack any vessels heading to Israeli ports unless food and medicine were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
Two days later, the Houthis launched a land-based cruise missile towards a Norwegian commercial tanker vessel.
The attack on the motor transport STRINDA took place about 60 nautical miles north of Bab al-Mandab Strait, US officials said, adding that US Navy destroyer Mason was on scene and rendering aid.
A senior Houthi official then warned cargo ships in the Red Sea to avoid traveling toward “occupied Palestinian territories”.