.png)
Ruby Mar is a small cargo ship. According to the Equasis international maritime database, its registered owner is in Southampton, England. The spokesperson for Houthi Missile Strikes stated in a statement that after an attack on an unidentified British ship, it "completely sank."
The threat of Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea shows no signs of abating. According to Bloomberg, Houthi rebels have once again targeted a commercial ship, leading the crew to abandon the vessel in the Red Sea. This marks the first such incident in the crucial commercial waterway after attacks by Houthis on vital maritime routes. On Sunday evening, two anti-ship ballistic missiles damaged the Ruby Mar, flagged in Belize, according to information released by the US Central Command on social media platforms.
The attacks by Houthis in the Red Sea have not ceased. Following a distress call, a warship and another commercial vessel headed to the Ruby Mar's crew at a nearby port. Since November, Houthi rebels in Yemen have increased attacks on commercial ships with missiles and drones in the Red Sea. The Iran-backed militant group claims to target only ships associated with Israel, the United States, and Britain, stating that their response is linked to ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Western airstrikes.
The British ship becomes a target for Houthi rebels
It's worth mentioning that Ruby Mar is a small cargo ship, and according to the Equasis international maritime database, its registered owner is in Southampton, England. The Houthi rebels' spokesperson stated in a statement that after an attack on an unidentified British ship, it "completely sank." However, this claim could not be independently verified. In fact, CENTCOM did not confirm whether Ruby Mar sank or not, and the ship's owner did not provide any response. There were no further updates from the UK Maritime Trade Operations on the incident.
The Red Sea is crucial for global trade
Before this, an official from the GMJZ Ship Management Company in Lebanon stated that Houthis targeted the engine room and the front part of the ship. There is no information about the injuries to the crew members who were being taken to Djibouti. The Red Sea is crucial for global trade, with approximately 12% of annual global trade and 30% of container traffic passing through its second part, the Suez Canal, every year.
To avoid Houthi attacks, an essential part of the world's oil and gas carriers, bulk cargo ships, and container ships now take a significant detour around Africa, boosting transit times and boosting world shipping. Additionally, on Monday, another ship reported two explosions, damaging the hull and paintwork, adding to the incidents.
Initiation of a defensive naval campaign
Houthi rebels claimed in their statement that they targeted two other ships, although specific details could not be immediately verified. The European Union officially launched a defensive naval campaign on Monday with the aim of protecting commercial ships from Houthi attacks. Led by Greece, the mission will escort some vessels and protect them from attacks spanning the Red Sea, through the Gulf of Aden to the Persian Gulf.