Following the attack on the US Genco Picardy late on Wednesday, the US military said its forces had conducted strikes on 14 Houthi missiles that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region.
Attacks by Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea since November have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers in an escalation of the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.
The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and have threatened to target US ships in response to American and British strikes on the group's positions.
The strategy pursued by US President Joe Biden - a blend of limited military strikes and sanctions - appears aimed at preventing a wider Middle East conflict even as Washington seeks to punish the Houthis, security and military experts say.
It is unclear whether it will accomplish Biden's main goal ‑ halting attacks by militants that are causing supply bottlenecks and raising fears that inflation could reignite.
India had earlier diverted a warship deployed in the region to rescue the 22 crew on board the Genco Picardy, including nine Indians. The crew was all safe and a fire on board the vessel had been extinguished.
The Houthi movement said its missiles had made a direct hit on the bulk carrier. Shipping operator Genco confirmed the attack, and said its vessel was hit by a projectile while it was passing through the Gulf of Aden with a cargo of phosphate rock.
