Dubai, United Arab Emirates — A vessel attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels sank in the Red Sea days after entering the sea, the first vessel to be completely destroyed as part of their campaign against Israel against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, they said Saturday.
The sinking of the Rubimar, which was carrying fertilizer and previously leaked fuel, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.
Ongoing Houthi attacks have disrupted traffic on key shipping lanes for goods and energy from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. Many ships have abandoned this route.
The shipwreck could cause ships navigating the waterway to take a detour and higher insurance rates – which could push up global inflation and affect aid deliveries to the region.
On February 18, the Belizean-flagged Rubimar drifted north after being hit by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is an important shipping route connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The internationally recognized Yemeni **, as well as a regional military officer**, confirmed that the ship sank. The ** spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the incident.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, which monitors shipping lanes in the Middle East, also acknowledged the sinking of the Rubimar on Saturday afternoon.
The Beirut-based manager of the Rubimar could not be reached immediately for comment.
Yemeni exile**, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubimar sank late Friday because of stormy weather in the Red Sea. The ship was abandoned for 12 days after the attack, although plans had been made to try to tow the ship to a safe port.
The Iranian-backed Houthis falsely claimed that they sank almost immediately after the attack, but did not immediately admit to sinking.
Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, the internationally recognized prime minister of Yemen**, called the wreck "an unprecedented environmental catastrophe."
This is a new catastrophe for our country and people," he wrote on Twitter previously. "Every day, we are paying the price for the adventures of the Houthi militias, who have not stopped pushing Yemen towards coup disasters and wars. ”
Since 2014, the Houthis have occupied the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, expelling **. It has been engaged in a stalemate war with the Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
The Associated Press from satellites analyzed by the Associated Press showed that on Wednesday, there were some small boats next to the Rubimar. It is not clear who these ships belong to. The images show that the stern of the "Lubimar" sank into the Red Sea, but is still afloat, which is consistent with the ** taken earlier.
Private security companies reported separately on Friday on a mysterious incident involving the Rubimar.
According to reports, some Yemenis were harmed in the security incident that occurred on Friday," the private security company said. The statement did not elaborate on what was involved in the incident, and neither party to Yemen's years of war claimed to have launched a new attack on the ship.
Satellite imagery taken on Friday shows unprecedented new ** damage on board the Rubimar, with no other ships around.
Since last November, as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas, the rebels have repeatedly attacked ships in and around the Red Sea. At least one of these vessels, loaded with cargo, is bound for Iran, the Houthis' main donor, and one rescue ship will later sail to Houthi-controlled territory.
Despite the U.S.-led airstrikes lasting more than a month, the Houthis are still capable of launching major attacks. These include the attack on the Rubimar, and the shooting down of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insisted that they would continue their attacks until Israel halted combat operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel's actions have angered the wider Arab world, and the Houthis have gained international recognition.
However, there has been a decrease in attacks in recent days. The reason is unknown. Israeli-Palestinian conflict