Yemen’s Houthis announced a new attack on the ship

Yemeni rebels attacked “the British ship RUBYMAR in the Gulf of Aden with naval missiles,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari said in a statement. Ambrey earlier reported an attack on a “Belize-flagged bulk carrier registered in the UK and operated by Lebanon” in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The ship was heading north from the United Arab Emirates and reached its final destination in the Bulgarian city of Varna.

Britain’s maritime safety agency UKMTO said a ship 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) off the Yemeni port of Moha reported “an explosion nearby that caused damage.” UKMTO later confirmed that the crew had evacuated the ship and were safe.

The ship is “at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden” after suffering “significant damage” during the attack, a Houthi military spokesman said. But Embry said the boat’s drift could be due to engine failure.

The Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen, say they carry out the attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a bloody war against Palestinian Hamas in retaliation for an unprecedented attack on the ground on October 7.

US Army return fire

The attacks prompted retaliatory strikes by US and British forces in Yemen, the latest of which took place on Saturday. According to US military command, on Saturday from 15:00 to 20:00, the army “successfully conducted five self-defense strikes against three mobile anti-ship missile systems, an autonomous submarine and a naval surface drone.” that (the military) has detected the Houthis’ use of an autonomous submarine since the attacks began on October 23,” Centcom added.

Faced with these attacks, the European Union has in turn decided to launch a maritime mission in the Red Sea, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday. “Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea in coordination with our international partners,” she said on X (formerly Twitter).

For his part, Qatar’s energy minister is calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which would lead to an end to attacks by the Houthis. “I hope there will be a ceasefire soon to end the attacks and their economic impact on the world,” he said during a press conference to mark the start of work at a mega petrochemical plant in South Korea. northeast coast of Qatar.

Many companies, such as QatarEnergy, have decided to send their ships thousands of miles around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Red Sea. “This will lead to increased costs, delays and supply restrictions,” the minister emphasized, referring to these deviations.