The authorities said on Saturday that an attack by the Houthis in Yemen targeted a commercial ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden, but it appears that it did not cause any damage, in the latest attack launched by the group on the shipping lane.

The Houthi attack comes after the sinking of the ship "TUTOR" this week, which represents what seems to be a new escalation by the Iran-backed Houthis in their campaign of strikes on ships in the vital sea route during the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

At the same time, U.S. officials reportedly ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is leading the U.S. response to the Houthi attacks, to return home after a prolonged deployment of two tours.

The UK's Maritime Trade Operations Center of the British Army reported that the captain of the ship that was targeted late Friday saw "explosions in the vicinity of the ship." A subsequent briefing from the U.S.-supervised Joint Maritime Information Center said that the ship initially reported two explosions off the port side and a third explosion later.

The center added that "the ship was not hit and did not sustain damage." "It has been reported that the ship and crew are okay and are heading to the next port of call."

The Houthis, who have controlled the Yemeni capital of Sana'a since 2014, claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday evening. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, identified the targeted ship as the bulk carrier Transworld Navigator.

The Houthis have launched over 60 attacks on specific vessels and fired missiles and other drones in their campaign, which has resulted in the deaths of four sailors. They have seized one ship and sunk two since November. The rebels claim that the U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 resulting in at least 16 deaths and 42 injuries.

In March, the Belize-flagged ship "Rubymar," which was carrying fertilizers, became the first ship to sink in the Red Sea after it drifted for several days following a rebel attack.

The Houthis confirmed that their attack targets vessels linked to Israel, the United States, or Britain. However, many of the ships that have been attacked have no relation to the war between Israel and Hamas.

Meanwhile, the news service of the U.S. Naval Institute, citing an anonymous official, reported that the "Eisenhower" would return to its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, after a deployment lasting more than eight months in what the Navy describes as the most intense fighting since World War II. The report stated that an aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific will replace the Eisenhower.

The nearest known U.S. aircraft carrier operating in Asia is the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt ship docked on Saturday in Busan, South Korea, amid ongoing tensions between Seoul and North Korea.

The Eisenhower has repeatedly been targeted by false attack claims from the Houthis during its time in the Red Sea. Saree claimed on Saturday night another attack on the tanker – but again did not provide any supporting evidence, as it was reportedly already scheduled to leave the area.