The US and UK have launched air strikes on Houthi targets in response to attacks on ships in the Red Sea region.
The tanker flies under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is operated on behalf of Trafigura - a multinational trading company.
In a statement, a Houthi spokesperson claimed the Marlin Luanda was a British ship and was targeted in response to “American-British aggression against our country”.
The UK government said attacks on commercial shipping are “completely unacceptable” and that Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately”.
Later, the US Central Command said its forces had conducted a strike at 03:45 local time (00:45 GMT) on Saturday “against a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch”.
Since November, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
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