Yemen’s Houthi rebels, allies of Iran, announced today that they had carried out a military operation against the Norwegian tanker Strinda, in their latest operation in protest against Israel’s bombing of Gaza.

The group targeted the tanker with a rocket after the crew refused to respond to all warnings, Houthi military spokesman Gehia Sharia said in a televised statement.

He stated that the Houthis will continue to block ships heading to Israeli ports until Israel allows food and medicine aid to enter the Gaza Strip – which is more than 1,600 kilometers from the Houthi headquarters in Sanaa.

The attack on the tanker Strinda occurred about 60 nautical miles north of the Bab al-Madeb strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden around 11:00 p.m. (Greece time), a US official told Reuters. A second US official said the Strinda was able to sail under its own power after the attack.

“There were no U.S. ships in the area at the time of the attack, but the (U.S. destroyer) USS Mason responded to the M/T Strinda’s distress signal and is currently rendering assistance,” said U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East.

The attack caused fire and damage, but no casualtiesthe US military said in a statement.

The representative of the Houthis announced that the organization managed in the last days to prevent the passage of ships, acting in support of the Palestinians.

The chemical tanker is now heading to a safe port, the ship’s Norwegian owner, Mowinckel Chemical Tankers, told Reuters. The 22 Indian crew members of the Strinda are all safe and sound, according to the same source.