British cargo ship at risk of sinking after being attacked, US destroys 2 anti-ship missiles and 4 Houthi UAVs

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said on February 23 that the attack by Houthi forces in Yemen on the British cargo ship Rubymar caused significant damage to the ship and an 18-nautical-mile (29 km) oil slick.

In this satellite image provided by Planet Labs, the Belize-flagged cargo ship Rubymar is seen in the southern Red Sea near Bay el-Mandeb Strait leaking oil following an attack by Houthi forces in Yemen. (Source: Planet Labs PBC/AP)

“The ship is anchored but is sinking,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

Previously, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea admitted that this force attacked the Rubymar ship in the Gulf of Aden on February 18 and the ship is now at risk of sinking.

When attacked, the Rubymar was transporting more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer.

Previously, THX reported that on February 23, Houthi forces in Yemen threatened to close an important shipping route in the Red Sea, after the US-UK coalition announced an airstrike on the port city of Hodeidah, where the Houthi military base is located.

Houthi al-Masirah TV reported three airstrikes on the Ras Issa area, northwest of Hodeidah, near a naval base. However, CENTCOM did not confirm the airstrikes.

On social network X, a Houthi representative said that the force is considering "completely closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the coming days" to pressure Israel to end the conflict in Gaza.

However, analysts are skeptical about the Houthi forces' ability to implement the above blockade measures.

In the event of a blockade of the Bab al-Mandab Strait - a vital chokepoint for maritime traffic between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean - global oil supplies and trade would be disrupted.

In a related development, according to Reuters , on February 23, the US military announced that it had destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two anti-ship cruise missiles of Houthi forces in Yemen and the Red Sea after determining that they were potential threats to US naval vessels and warships.

CENTCOM said the drones and cruise missiles were about to be launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the Red Sea. In addition, the US military also shot down three Houthi suicide drones near commercial ships operating in the area.

In addition, the above unit confirmed that the US military attacks were conducted on February 22 and 23 (local time), and no damage was recorded to any ships.

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