Flight operations from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in full swing. AFP

The Houthis' Al-Masira television said on Saturday that the US and the UK launched two airstrikes that targeted the port of Ras Issa, Yemen's main oil export terminal.

No further details were immediately available.

The airstrikes came as Yemen's Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea, including a hit that sparked a fire on a fuel tanker on Friday.

The tanker Marlin Luanda, which was operating on behalf of trading firm Trafigura, was damaged but no injuries were reported and a US Navy ship was providing assistance, the US military said.

About eight hours later, the US military destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Red Sea and ready to launch, Central Command said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels since Nov. 19 in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza.

The attacks have primarily targeted container vessels moving through the Red Sea. Many oil tankers have kept using the route.

Reuters