Yemen's Houthis claimed on Friday that they had targeted two vessels with missiles and drones in the Red Sea, but no independent confirmation was available.

Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Iran-aligned organization, said that the group had targeted Elbella and AAL GENOA ships with "a variety of drones as well as ballistic and maritime missiles".

Saree didn't specify the date when the strikes took place. Reuters received no reports on incidents occurring in the Red Sea Friday.

Eastern Mediterranean Maritime declined to comment on the Elbella container vessel, which is registered under the Malta flag. Reuters could not reach the owner or the manager of the AAL Genoa general freight vessel, flying the Cyprus flag.

Since November, the Houthi militia that controls the majority of Yemen has launched attacks against ships off the coast in solidarity with Palestinians living in Gaza.

The campaign disrupted shipping around the world, forcing companies to take longer, more expensive routes through southern Africa. It also stoked concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread to the Middle East and destabilise it.

In response to the attacks against shipping, the United States and Britain carried out strikes on Houthi targets.