TEHRAN- Increasing American-British attacks against Yemen have failed to deter Ansarullah from targeting and expanding its naval operations against Israeli/American/British vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Colonel Yahya Saree, announced in a concise military statement on Monday the targeting of the American vessel "Star Iris" in the Red Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles, confirming a direct hit.

According to the statement, the operation is in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and in response to the joint American-British aggression on Yemen.

Furthermore, the Yemeni Armed Forces affirmed their commitment to enforcing the decision to prohibit Israeli navigation or vessels "heading to the occupied ports of Palestine" until the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip ceases.

Different forces have stated that they will not hesitate to carry out additional military operations in response to "Zionist crimes" against the security of the 2.2 million civilian population in the coastal enclave.

Earlier on Monday, the British Maritime Trade Operations organization confirmed receiving a report of an incident 40 nautical miles south of al-Makha in Yemen.

On 6 February, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the execution of two military operations in the Red Sea. The first targeted an American ship (Star Nasia), and the second targeted a British ship (Morning Tide), indicating that both ships were hit directly by suitable naval missiles.

The U.S. military's Central Command confirmed that Ansarullah fired three missiles at the Star Nasia, which reported damage but no injuries. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency and British maritime security firm Ambrey reported an explosion near a merchant vessel off Yemen's port of Aden on Tuesday.

Earlier, a member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, affirmed that Yemen's operations would persist as long as the American-Israeli aggression and blockade on the Gaza Strip continues.

The senior Yemeni official also warned the Israeli occupation that "any escalation in Rafah or Gaza would lead to the course of the military operations to escalate. If the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza worsens and mass killings of its residents persist, operations will expand based on field data and the directives of the commander Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi."

The government in Sana'a has asserted the guarantee of navigation of movement in the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the Bab el Mandeb strait for all ships, except Israeli ships and those heading to Israeli ports until the aggression on Gaza ceases.

Recently, Yemeni maritime operations have expanded to target American and British vessels in addition to the U.S. and UK warships in the waters off Yemen in retaliation to the American-British aggression on Yemeni territory.

The joint U.S. and UK attacks have recently increased but have done little to dent or deter naval forces aligned with the Sana'a government from increasing attacks against Israeli, American and British vessels in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

In a speech earlier this month, the leader of Ansarullah, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, addressed the operations carried out by the Yemeni armed forces in support of the resistance in Gaza and in solidarity with the Palestinians, emphasizing Yemen's active and ongoing role in the Israeli war on Gaza.

This support includes measures against ships heading to the "Israeli occupation entity" in the Red Sea and Bab el Mandeb, stating "our role is effective and influential," and that "the enemy has become desperate".

Al-Houthi reiterated the readiness to target any ship heading to the occupation entity, emphasizing that the United States and Britain "have entangled themselves in a predicament".