The United States military announced late Saturday that a British-owned cargo ship sank in the Red Sea approximately two weeks after sustaining damage from a missile attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militia. The ship was carrying fertilizer, which now posed an environmental risk.
The attack on the Rubymar last month involved two antiship ballistic missiles launched from Yemen. This sinking incident seems to be the first of its kind since the Houthis began targeting ships to pressure Israel to lift its military blockade in Gaza.
The U.S. Central Command confirmed the sinking of the Rubymar in a social media statement, revealing that the ship went down early Saturday while transporting 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer, posing an environmental hazard in the Red Sea.
The Central Command also warned of a “subsurface impact risk” to other vessels navigating through the busy international shipping lane in the area.
Even before sinking, the Rubymar was deemed an “environmental disaster” due to an 18-mile oil slick created by the attack, as reported by Central Command last month. The situation could escalate if the fertilizer spills into the sea.
As of Sunday morning, there were no further details available regarding the sinking or the potential environmental and commercial shipping risks. The Rubymar flew the flag of Belize, and its operator, Blue Fleet Group, based in Greece, did not provide any response to inquiries.
Following the attack last month, the 24 crew members of the Rubymar were rescued by a vessel operated by a French shipping company and taken to Djibouti. Officials at Djibouti port mentioned that the crew hailed from Syria, Egypt, India, and the Philippines.
