The ship's owner Trafigura, which has offices in Britain, said there was firefighting equipment on board and crew safety was its "foremost priority".

A spokesperson said: "Earlier on 26 January, the Marlin Luanda, a petroleum products tanker vessel operated on behalf of Trafigura, was struck by a missile as it transited the Red Sea.

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"Firefighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side."

Trafigura said it was still in contact with the 250-metre Marlin Luanda and that military ships were on the way to help.

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident happened 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden in Yemen.

The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, blaming Israel's war on Hamas.

However they have targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping on a key trade route and causing some to sail a much longer route.

Houthi brigadier general Yahya Saree referred to the ship as a "British" tanker and said the attack was in support "of the oppressed Palestinian people" and in response "to the American-British aggression against our country".

"Using a number of appropriate naval missiles, the strike was direct, and resulted the burning of the vessel," he said.

"Yemeni Armed Forces persist with their military operations: enforcing a blockade on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian seas until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza, and food and medicine are allowed in to the besieged Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

Shipping data suggests the Marlin Luanda sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands and was on its way to Singapore.

UKMTO warned other ships to sail with caution and report any suspicious activity.

US military also said in a statement that it had shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile fired from Yemen earlier on Friday, and that there were no damages or injuries.

Read more:
What firepower do UK and US have in the Gulf?
Why have allies launched more strikes and who are the Houthis?

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Alongside numerous airstrikes on key Houthi targets, the UK and US are also targeting key figures in the Iran-backed militant group with sanctions.

A second series of UK and US airstrikes, carried out at the start of the week, appears to have done little to deter Houthi action.