Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed on Saturday that they had targeted MV Torm Thor, a US-flagged, owned, and operated oil tanker, in the Gulf of Aden, Reuters reported.
The group targeted the tanker with "a number of appropriate naval missiles," the Iran-aligned group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the USS Mason, a guided missile destroyer, on Saturday shot down one anti-ship ballistic missile launched into the Gulf of Aden from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that was likely targeting the tanker.
Neither the USS Mason nor MV Torm Thor were damaged and there were no injuries, CENTCOM added in a statement.
Officials also said on Saturday that US and British forces carried out strikes against more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen.
A joint statement from countries that either took part in the strikes or provided support, said the military action was against 18 Houthi targets across eight locations in Yemen including underground weapons and missile storage facilities, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have upped their attacks on vessels since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
In mid-January, with support from other countries, the US and Britain targeted just under 30 Houthi locations with 150 different weapons. The two countries have continued to strike Houthi targets since.
The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes and have vowed to continue to target ships in the Red Sea.