The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait. Attacks on shipping continueEven as hopes increased that a deal on the strait could be imminent, attacks on shipping in the region continued. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed Wednesday they had fired ballistic missiles toward a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea. In July, the Houthis announced they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea for Saudi-linked shipping. On Tuesday, an Indian-flagged commercial ship sank in the Red Sea off Yemen after being struck by an explosive-laden boat, Yemeni and Indian authorities said.