Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebel group on Sunday (March 3) said that it will continue to strike British ships in the Gulf of Aden after UK-owned vessel Rubymar sunk in the Red Sea.
“Yemen will continue to sink more British ships, and any repercussions or other damages 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 that attacks Yemen and partners with America in sponsoring ongoing crimes against civilians in Gaza.”
اليمن ستواصل إغراق المزيد من السفن البريطانية وأي تداعيات أوأضرار أخرى سيتم إضافتها لفاتورةبريطانيا باعتبارها دولةمارقة تعتدي عل اليمن وتشارك امريكا في رعايةالجريمةالمستمرة بحق المدنيين في غزة
(لايمكنك العبث في بلادي ثم الذهاب لقضاءسهرتك في الفابريك
من يؤذي اليمن سنؤذيه
too much)
— حسين العزي (@hussinalezzi5) March 3, 2024
The US military on Saturday confirmed that Rubymar had sunk after being hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by Houthi militants in February.
After the attack by the Iran-backed militant group, the crew onboard was immediately evacuated.
Rubymar was loaded with over 41,000 tonnes of fertiliser at the time it was attacked, causing an 18-mile (29km) oil slick in the sea.
Watch | British cargo Ship Rubymar Hit by Houthi Missile Sinks in Red Sea
‘Environmental catastrophe’
Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, foreign minister in Yemen’s Aden-based government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, said in a post on X: “The sinking of the Rubymar is an environmental catastrophe that Yemen and the region have never experienced before.”
“It is a new tragedy for our country and our people. Every day we pay the price for the adventures of the Houthi militia …”
Earlier, Yemen’s Iran-backed rebel group had vowed to prevent the rescue of the leaking ship until people in the war-torn Gaza Strip were provided with access to food, water, and medicine.
“The sinking British ship might be hauled in return for delivering aid vehicles to Gaza,” Al-Houthi said on X.
Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted international commercial shipping since November dubbing the attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
The Houthis’ strikes are forcing ships to take a longer, more expensive route around Africa, disrupting the strategically important Suez Canal shortcut that accounts for nearly 12 per cent of global maritime traffic.
The United States and Britain began launching retaliatory strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in January.
(With inputs from agencies)
