Rubymar

Saturday’s operation comes after several merchant vessels were struck this week in the region, including the fertilizer-filled Rubymar, whose crew had to abandon ship after it was hit several days ago and began taking on water.

The Rubymar is the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of the Houthis’ campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The US military confirmed on Saturday that the UK-owned vessel Rubymar had sunk after being struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi militants on February 18.

This undated photo released Sunday, March 3, 2024, by the U.S. military’s Central Command shows the Belize-flagged vessel Rubymar sinking in the Red Sea.