The Liberia-flagged tanker Magic Seas was attacked southwest of the port city of al-Hudaydah in Yemen, as a result, the ship took in water and the crew had to leave.
On Monday, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen confirmed that they are behind the attack.
"The ship was attacked with two unmanned boats, five ballistic missiles and cruise missiles and three drones," says Yahya Saree, military spokesperson for the Houthi movement in a video statement.
Saree claims that the ship was a "legitimate target" because the company that owns it trades with Israel and uses the country's ports.
al-Hudaydah is controlled by the Houthi rebels, who have attacked merchant ships in the area after the Gaza war broke out. The attack is the first serious one against a ship in the area in a while.
Sunday's ship attack was followed by several Israeli attacks on ports controlled by the Houthi movement. Among other things, another commercial cargo ship that was hijacked by the Houthi movement in November 2023 was attacked.
The private maritime security company Ambrey has issued a warning. According to Ambrey, Sunday's incident may mark a greater escalation. The US military reported on Sunday that they are aware of the attack.
