Moment oil tanker crew shoots at Houthi drone boat in Red Sea

The valiant but futile efforts of armed guards to shoot an explosives-laden drone boat piloted by Yemen's Houthi rebel forces before it slammed into the side of an oil tanker have been captured in breathtaking video footage.

A remote-piloted boat carrying high explosives ripped a gaping hole in the side of the Panama-flagged Cordelia Moon as it sailed through the Red Sea on Tuesday.

The tanker, previously owned by a British company, was engulfed in flames when the massive blast tore through its port-side tank and sent thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky.

The devastating attack, swiftly claimed by the Iran-backed Houthis, unfolded roughly 110 kilometres (70 miles) off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, which as in recent days sustained a series of airstrikes by Israel's air force.

Armed crewmembers were seen desperately trying to gun the oncoming ship as it sped towards the hull.

A trio of guards wearing bulletproof vests brandished assault rifles and let loose a volley of shots at the marine drone but were powerless to prevent it from ramming the vessel.

Moments later a punishing explosion rang out and the tanker's deck was clouded by smoke as sirens began to blare out.

Fortunately, the ship reported its crew were unharmed - but the captain of a nearby vessel told US Navy officials operating in the area that he heard four loud splashes at the time of the attack.

It is suspected these sounds were the impact of missiles missing the Cordelia Moon and landing in the sea.

A Houthi spokesperson said their assault on the tanker comprised the drone boat carrying high explosives along with one aerial drone and eight missiles.

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A second vessel, the Liberia-flagged bulker en route to the Suez Canal, also came under fire earlier this week.

It sustained considerable damage after being hit by a missile around 177 kilometres (110 miles) northwest of Hodeidah, according to British security firm Ambrey and maritime sources.

These strikes mark the Houthis' first assault on commercial vessels in weeks, adding to fears that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon could ignite a broader regional war. 

Just a day earlier, the Houthis had warned of escalating military action against Israel after its forces reportedly downed an American military drone over Yemeni airspace.

It comes as Israel continues its brutal offensive in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel's air force conducted another devastating airstrike near Beirut airport overnight in an attempt to wipe out Hezbollah's heir apparent after former chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed one week ago.

The Israeli air force launched wave upon wave of punishing strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs overnight into this morning, battering the Dahiyeh area where Hezbollah's underground headquarters are based.

But one enormous cacophony of explosions that shook buildings for miles around suggested Israel had deployed yet more Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) - bombs designed to penetrate deep into underground structures.

Unconfirmed Israeli media reports said the IAF had targeted Hashem Safieddine, another hardline cleric and cousin of Nasrallah who many analysts believed was a shoo-in to replace the slain Hezbollah leader.

It is unclear whether Saffieddine was present at the site of the attack. 

The intense bombardment came after the IDF issued yet another evacuation order for communities across southern Lebanon.

Lebanese citizens were told to leave Nabatieh, a provincial capital, and other communities north of the Litani River, which formed the northern edge of the border zone established by the UN Security Council after the 2006 war in a resolution that both sides accuse the other of violating.

Israel also conducted one of its most deadly strikes in the West Bank in decades overnight, with at least 18 people said to have been killed at the Tulkarm refugee camp, Palestinian health authorities claim.

The IDF reported its strike killed Hamas leader Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who it accused of participating in numerous attacks.