Maersk, one of the world's largest shipping companies, said Friday it was suspending its vessels' passage through a key Red Sea strait following attacks by Yemeni rebels on merchant ships.

"Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to pause their journey until further notice," said a statement to AFP from the Danish firm.

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels claimed responsibility Thursday for an attack on a cargo ship plying the strait through which a significant portion of the world's shipping passes.

The rebels said the Maersk Gibraltar vessel was "targeted with a drone and the hit was direct," although, according to a US official, the missile missed.

Huthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the attack came after the ship's crew "refused to respond to the calls of the Yemeni naval services", and that it was intended as retaliation for the "oppression of the Palestinian people".

As a response to the Zionist-Hamas war, the rebels have vowed to attack any vessel along the strait that they believe to be headed to Zionist.