RIYADH: Yemen’s Houthi rebels have fired two missiles at a ship in the Bab Al-Mandeb strait, the US military said early on Tuesday.

The MV Star Iris, a Greek-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel transiting the Red Sea carrying corn from Brazil, suffered minor damage but the crew were not hurt, according to US Central Command.

The Houthis have attacked several vessels in the vital waterway since mid November in support of Palestinians in Gaza as Israel pummels the enclave in a campaign to destroy Hamas, after the group killed hundreds of Israels on Oct. 7. Israel has killed thousands in response during the four-month-old conflict.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, control large swathes of Yemen after ousting the internationally recognized government in 2014.