The Israeli military also said it struck the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle-carrying vessel that the Houthis seized back in November 2023 when they began their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.

The flare-up on Monday, July 7, followed attacks on a vessel in the Red Sea the previous day, for which the Houthis, despite suspicions, made no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack comes as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program.

The escalation follows an attack on Sunday on the Magic Seas, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship in the Red Sea, which caught fire and was eventually abandoned by its crew.