Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday it would keep up attacks on U.S. and British warships in the Red Sea in what it called acts of self-defense, stoking fears of long-term disruptions to world trade.

In a statement, the group's military spokesperson said all American and British warships participating in "aggression" against its country were targets.

The U.S. and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and re-designated the movement on a list of terrorist groups as turmoil from the Israel-Palestine conflict spreads through the region.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have been attacking ships in and around the Red Sea, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza conflict.

The Houthis fired missiles at the U.S. warship USS Gravely, the statement added. On Tuesday night, the U.S. military's central command said they had shot down one anti-ship cruise missile fired from Yemen towards the Red Sea with no damage reported.

The Houthi attacks have primarily targeted container vessels. Many fuel tankers have kept using the route.

Some shipping companies have suspended transits through the Red Sea, which is accessed from the Gulf of Aden, and taken much longer, costlier journeys around Africa to avoid being attacked.

Houthis say they will persist with their military operations until a ceasefire is agreed in Gaza and food and medicine are allowed into the enclave to ease a grave humanitarian crisis.

(Cover: Houthi fighters stage a rally in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the U.S.-led airstrikes on Yemen, in Sanaa, Yemen, January 29, 2024. /CFP)