Yemen's Houthi movement announced on Sunday that it had targeted the MV Groton vessel in the Gulf of Aden, marking its first assault on maritime routes since Israel's retaliatory airstrike on Hodeidah port on July 20. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated in a televised address that the ship was struck by ballistic missiles. The British maritime agency UKMTO and British security firm Ambrey reported on Saturday that the vessel was hit by a missile 125 nautical miles east of Yemen's port of Aden. Both entities confirmed that the ship remained undamaged, with no signs of water ingress or oil spills. This attack follows a period of relative calm after Israel's strike on Hodeidah, which came a day after a drone launched by the Iranian-backed group impacted the Israeli economic hub of Tel Aviv. The Houthi militants have been attacking international shipping near Yemen since November last year, in support of Palestinians amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas. These actions have prompted retaliatory strikes from the US and Britain, and have caused disruptions in global trade, leading ship owners to reroute their vessels to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal, opting instead for the longer route around the southern tip of Africa.