The United States says Houthi missiles were fired at a cargo ship and a US warship in the Red Sea amid strikes against the Iran-backed rebels.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen An anti-ship ballistic missile was fired at a US-owned and operated Marshall Islands-flagged container ship called the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, the US military and the ship's operator said Monday, as the rebel group continued its attack on global shipping in the Red Sea. The ship's operator said that there were no injuries or serious damage on board the civilian ship, but the missile caused an insignificant fire in the ship's hold.

“Earlier today, at approximately 2 p.m. (Yemen local time), US forces detected an anti-ship ballistic missile launched towards commercial shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea,” the US military's Central Command said in a statement posted on social media. Which also confirmed the attack on the cargo ship. The previous missile “failed to fly and collided with the ground in Yemen. There were no reports of injuries or damage.”

The latest attacks on commercial ships came a day after US Central Command announced that it shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired by the Houthis towards the US warship USS Labone while it was operating in the Red Sea. It was the first acknowledged Houthi attack on a US warship since the US and British militaries began striking the Houthis after weeks of attacks by the Iranian-backed group on cargo ships in the vital shipping lane.

The Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones loaded with explosives for weeks, claiming that they are a legitimate response to… The ongoing Israeli war with the Palestinian Hamas movement In the Gaza Strip.

US Central Command said in a statement late on Sunday that the missile fired towards the USS Labone “was shot down by a US fighter jet near the coast of Hodeidah (a port on the western coast of Yemen). There were no reports of casualties or damage.”

President Biden announced US and allied strikes on the Houthis in a statement Thursday night, and on Friday alone, 28 Houthi sites were targeted by bombs and missiles launched from the air and sea. The Associated Press reported that the strikes continued over the weekend, with US forces hitting a Houthi radar site on Saturday.

The strikes were from the United States and its allies Not dissuaded Muhammad Abdel Salam, the rebel movement's chief political negotiator, told Reuters news agency, “Attacks to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine will continue.”

Britain's Maritime Trade Operations Agency first reported the attack on the M/V Gibraltar Eagle on Monday, saying a “ship was hit from above by a missile” in Yemeni waters. CBS News partner BBC News reported that the agency urged any ships transiting the area to exercise “extreme caution.”

The American company Eagle Bulk, which operates the ship, said in a statement reported by Reuters: “As a result of the collision, the ship suffered limited damage to the cargo hold, but it is stable and heading out of the area.” “All sailors on board have been confirmed safe. The ship is carrying a cargo of steel products.”

The UK took part in the strikes against the Houthis, which British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described as a “last resort” after “intense diplomatic activity” and warnings from Washington and London for the militants to stop attacking ships.

“Of course we will not hesitate to protect our security when needed,” Sunak said.