©Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows the Belize-flagged, UK-owned cargo ship Rubymar being attacked by Yemen’s Houthis, the US military’s Central Command said, before it sank in the Red Sea , March 1, 2024. Maxar Technologies /Distributed via
CAIRO (Reuters) – Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis vowed on Sunday they would continue to target British ships in the Gulf of Aden following the sinking of the British-owned Rubymar ship.
The US military confirmed on Saturday that the UK-owned ship Rubymar had sunk after being hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by Yemeni Houthi militants on 18 February.
“Yemen will continue to sink more British ships, and any repercussions or other damage will be added to Britain’s bill,” Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister in the Houthi-led government, said in a post on X.
“It is a rogue state attacking Yemen and collaborating with America in sponsoring ongoing crimes against civilians in Gaza.”
Houthi militants have repeatedly fired drones and missiles at international commercial ships since mid-November, claiming to be acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Their attacks on the Red Sea disrupted global shipping, forcing companies to reroute to longer and more expensive voyages around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the war between Israel and Hamas could spread to destabilize the Middle Wider East.
The United States and Britain began striking Houthi targets in Yemen in January in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping.