UK ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthis in Red Sea, sinks

The Yemeni forces announced they attacked the Rubymar on February 18, with several naval missiles in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a strategic waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The cargo ship had been drifting northward when it came under attack.

Yemen confirmed that the Rubymar sank late Friday as stormy weather took hold over the Red Sea.

The cargo ship was abandoned for 12 days, even after Yemen warned that the vessel “is in a tragic situation and is on the verge of sinking after water leaked into the engine room”.

Yemeni officials had warned about “a major environmental disaster if it sinks”.

Yemen has targeted ships either owned by the Israeli regime or sailing toward Israeli ports in a strong gesture sympathetic to Palestinians in Gaza over the past few months.

The Yemenis have made it clear that they will not hesitate to carry out qualitative operations against all hostile targets in defense of their homeland and in reaffirmation of their unwavering support for the Palestinian nation.

They stressed earlier that strikes targeting those ships in the Red Sea will not stop unless the regime ends its genocidal campaign.

International shipping companies, however, are safe to sail in the area if they are neither owned by Israel nor destined for ports in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to the Yemeni Armed Forces.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has also confirmed that the cargo vessel attacked by Yemen’s troops sank.

A ranking Yemeni official stated that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his government “bear responsibility” for the sinking of the Rubymar.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, said in a post on his X social media account on Saturday that Sunak and his government are responsible for the sinking of the British vessel over their support for the Israeli regime’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Houthi stressed that the British government has a “chance to salvage” the Rubymar by authorizing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, which has been under Israel’s incessant bombardment over the past five months.

“We say to Sunak: You and your government bear responsibility for M/V Rubymar and the responsibility to support genocide and siege in Gaza,” the Yemeni official added.

“You have a chance to salvage the M/V Rubymar by sending a letter of guarantee…that the relief trucks agreed upon would enter Gaza.”