An American warship had responded to reports that a Houthi speedboat had been terrorizing commercial vessels in the Red Sea.  Houthis are militants in Yemen and have been escalating attacks on ships traversing the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, including for oil shipments.

An oil and chemical tanker Marshall Islands-flagged Ardmore Encounter had come under attack by the militant group. The Ardmore Encounter had been traveling north toward the Suez Canal in the Red Sea from India at the time.

According to a report by ZeroHedge, the vessel, which had a security crew aboard, reported an “exchange of fire” with a speedboat some 55 nautical miles (or just over 100km off Yemen’s main port of Hodeidah, according to emerging Associated Press reporting. The approaching speedboat claimed to be the Yemeni Navy and ordered the commercial vessel to halt, but a nearby warship identified as a “coalition” naval vessel told the Ardmore Encounter to maintain its course. When the hostile boat approached within 300 meters, it unleashed small arms fire.

This conflict is going to ratchet up tensions in the Middle East, and as that tension builds, so does the chance of this war exploding into a global war.

This attack marks at least half a dozen serious attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have threatened to close the whole area to shipping due to the ongoing Israeli onslaught in Gaza. The group weeks ago “declared war” on Israel and has sent several ballistic missiles toward Israel.

In some instances, US warships have been able to intercept the missiles, which has also included increased drone launches.

War Expands: Yemen Houthis Strike 3 Commercial Ships In The Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi militants have joined the war, meaning Iran is also a proxy.

The Path To WW3: Yemen’s Houthis Have Joined The War

The U.S. Navy has already warned it will continue to act against threats to international shipping in the Red Sea. “These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security,” a recent U.S. military statement said. “They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world.”