A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels strikes a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels slammed into a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen near a key maritime chokepoint. That’s according to the rebels and authorities who spoke Tuesday. The assault on the oil and chemical tanker Strinda expands a campaign by the Iranian-backed rebels targeting ships near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into apparently now striking those that have no clear ties to Israel. That potentially imperils cargo and energy shipments coming through the Suez Canal and further widens the international impact of the Israel-Hamas war now raging in the Gaza Strip. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the rebels only fired on the vessel when it “rejected all warning calls.”