Tel Aviv - On Sunday, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Iran, claimed to have taken control of an Israeli ship in the Red Sea. Israel promptly denied this assertion.

The Houthi official stated that they brought the Israeli cargo ship to the Yemeni coast, but specific details would be disclosed later. A Yemeni maritime source mentioned that the Houthi rebels seized a commercial vessel, taking it to the port of Salif in Hodeida. Israel's military, however, refuted the claim, clarifying that the ship was not Israeli and departed from Turkey en route to India with a crew of various nationalities.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denied the ship's Israeli affiliation but condemned what it called an "Iranian attack against an international vessel." The incident follows recent Houthi threats to target Israeli vessels in the Red Sea amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi rebel leader had previously announced vigilance against Israeli ships in the Red Sea, emphasizing the strategic importance of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial shipping lane for global oil consumption.