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A vessel associated with Israel that was struck by Yemeni Houthi militants in the Gulf of Aden has reportedly been abandoned, as confirmed by U.S. Central Command on Saturday.
The Rubymar, a bulk carrier sailing under the Belize flag, sustained damage following a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile attack on February 18. This incident marked the initial significant damage to a commercial ship since the militants initiated their attacks on shipping in November.
“The M/V Rubymar, a bulk carrier flying the flag of Belize and owned by the United Kingdom, which was hit by an Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on February 18 in the Gulf of Aden, has been abandoned by its crew,” U.S. Central Command stated in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.
U.S. Central Command further explained that the assault resulted in substantial damage to the vessel, causing its crew to evacuate. It also indicated that the vessel is progressively taking on water.
The statement from U.S. Central Command noted that the attack on the Rubymar marks another instance of the Houthis’ “reckless and indiscriminate assaults against international shipping,” highlighting the continued danger posed to regional stability by the Iranian-backed group.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government had previously reported that the vessel was at risk of sinking in the Red Sea.
The Iran-aligned Houthi faction has been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea region since mid-November, asserting that their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
The U.S. and Britain initiated retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen starting in January, aiming to disrupt the militants’ capacity to target shipping. Despite these efforts, the Houthi assaults have persisted.
