Ship sunk by Houthis threatens Red Sea

A UK-owned ship attacked by Houthis last month sank in the Red Sea, the US military confirmed on Saturday, as it echoed a warning from Yemen’s internationally recognized government that the vessel’s cargo of hazardous fertilizer posed a risk to marine life.

The Belize-registered Rubymar is the first vessel lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in November. Those drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert ships to the longer route around southern Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.

The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the north of Yemen and other large centers, say their campaign is a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Houthi attacks have prompted a series of strikes against their positions by the United States and Britain, and have led other navies to send vessels to the region to try to protect the vital Suez Canal trade route.

Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, the foreign minister in Yemen’s internationally recognized government in Aden, said in a post on X: “The sinking of the Rubymar is an environmental catastrophe that Yemen and the region have never experienced before.

The Houthi attacks have stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread, destabilizing the wider Middle East.