![](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/03/02/ap24062470718963-021840dbbeb14b9ec600e0ca4a5d222bc89c5022-s1100-c50.jpg)
This satellite image taken by Maxar Technologies shows the Belize-flagged ship Rubymar in the Red Sea on Friday. Officials said Saturday that the Rubimar, which was previously attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels, sank within days.
Maxar Technologies via AP
Hide caption
Caption transition
Maxar Technologies via AP
![](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/03/02/ap24062470718963-021840dbbeb14b9ec600e0ca4a5d222bc89c5022-s1200.jpg)
This satellite image taken by Maxar Technologies shows the Belize-flagged ship Rubymar in the Red Sea on Friday. Officials said Saturday that the Rubimar, which was previously attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels, sank within days.
Maxar Technologies via AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A ship sank in the Red Sea after days of attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels, officials said Saturday. It is the first ship to be completely destroyed as part of Israel's campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. piece.
The sinking of the Rubymar comes as cargo and energy shipments from Asia and the Middle East to Europe pass through the vital waterway, which has been affected by Houthi attacks.
Many ships have already gone off course. The sinking could lead to more diversions and higher insurance premiums for ships plying the waterway, potentially raising global inflation and impacting aid shipments to the region.
![The US military says it attacked a Houthi underwater vessel in the Red Sea.](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/02/18/ap24045402194879_sq-a4c5906996183f95c7c4acaa4a84785e738faca7-s100.jpg)
The Belize-flagged Rubymar was drifting north after being hit by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on February 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen's internationally recognized government and local military officials confirmed the ship had sunk. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists about the case.
The UK's Maritime Trade Operations Center, which monitors Middle East waterways, separately acknowledged the sinking of the Rubymar on Saturday afternoon.
Rubymar's Beirut-based manager could not immediately be reached for comment.
Yemen's exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubimar sank late Friday as storms battered the Red Sea. The ship was abandoned for 12 days after the attack, but plans were made to tow it to a safe port.
The Iran-backed Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the sinking of the ship, although they falsely claimed it had sunk shortly after the attack.
US military warns of ecological damage from damaged ships
The U.S. Central Command previously warned that fertilizer cargo on board ships and fuel leaks from ships could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.
Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Prime Minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government, called the sinking of the ship an “unprecedented environmental disaster.”
![China remains mostly quiet about Houthi attacks in the Red Sea](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/02/22/ap24022519535033_sq-25eb674c6d4230c9213c7ddf9b0579904a4aba5e-s100.jpg)
“This is a new disaster for our country and its people,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Every day we pay the price for the Houthi militia’s unstoppable adventures that have pushed Yemen into a coup and war.”
Houthi rebels have taken control of Yemen's capital Sanaa and ousted the government since 2014. It has been waging a stalemate war with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press from Planet Labs PBC showed a small boat next to Rubymar on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear who the vessel was. The image shows Rubymar's stern sinking into the Red Sea but still floating, mirroring previous footage taken from the ship.
Private security company Ambrey separately reported on Friday the mysterious incident involving Rubymar.
Ambrey said many Yemenis were affected by the security incident that occurred on Friday. It did not elaborate on what the incident involved, and none of the parties involved in Yemen's years-long war claimed new attacks on ships.
Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies on Friday showed new, previously unseen blast damage to the Rubymar, with no other ships nearby.
Rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters since November over the Israel-Hamas war. These ships included at least one carrying cargo destined for Iran, a major backer of the Houthis, and an aid vessel later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.
![The United States and Britain conducted airstrikes against 18 Houthi rebels in Yemen.](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/02/24/ap24055673465258_sq-f698e6cfb8afc867f85220b3c28469a19b7b3004-s100.jpg)
Despite more than a month of U.S.-led airstrikes, the Houthis still have the capacity to launch large-scale attacks. This includes the attack on Rubymar and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis claim they will continue their attacks until Israel halts its combat operations in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip outraged the wider Arab world and brought the Houthis to international recognition.
However, attacks have been slowing down recently. The reason is still unclear.