DUBAI, UAE – A ship targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea, according to officials on Saturday. The Rubymar, the first vessel to be completely destroyed in the ongoing conflict over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, had been taking on water for days prior to its sinking.
The Rubymar’s sinking has raised concerns over the potential impact on shipping through the vital waterway, which plays a crucial role in the transportation of cargo and energy shipments from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. The Houthi attacks have already led to a number of ships rerouting, and the recent sinking could result in further diversions, increased insurance rates for vessels using the waterway, and potentially contribute to global inflation and disrupt aid shipments to the region.
The Belize-flagged Rubymar was hit by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and had been drifting northward since. The sinking was confirmed by Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a regional military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which monitors Mideast waterways, also confirmed the Rubymar’s sinking on Saturday afternoon. The Beirut-based manager of the Rubymar was not immediately available for comment.
Yemen’s exiled government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, reported that the Rubymar sank late Friday due to stormy weather conditions over the Red Sea. The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days post-attack, despite plans to tow it to a safe port.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who had previously falsely claimed the ship sank immediately post-attack, have not yet acknowledged the sinking. The U.S. military’s Central Command had previously warned that the vessel’s cargo of fertilizer and fuel leaking from the ship could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.
Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, the prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, described the ship’s sinking as “an unprecedented environmental disaster.” The Houthis have controlled Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014 and have been engaged in a stalemated war with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015.