The Iran-backed rebel group "led a military operation targeting the American military cargo ship Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden", near the Red Sea, with missiles, said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.

Asked about the claim, a US defense official told AFP: "We're not seeing that at all on our end and believe that statement to be untrue."

The Yemeni rebels began striking Red Sea shipping in November, saying they were hitting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israeli war.

The United States, an ally of Israel, has responded to the Houthis' strikes by launching a series of strikes on the rebel group, hitting dozens of sites in Yemen.

The Houthis have since declared American and British interests to be legitimate targets as well.

Washington is also seeking to put diplomatic and financial pressure on the Houthis, re-designating them as a "terrorist" entity after dropping that label soon after President Joe Biden took office.

The rebels reiterated on Monday that they will "respond to any attack" on Yemen and continue to "prevent Israeli ships" from crossing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the end of the war in the Palestinian territory.

Yemen is just one part of a growing crisis in the Middle East amid the war in Gaza, where Israel's relentless bombardment and ground offensive have killed more than 25,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.