By Al-Fassel | 2024-02-27

A foundering bulk carrier hit by two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis on February 18 is leaking oil into the Red Sea and may cause even more severe environmental damage, the US military has warned.

MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship that was destined for Belarus with a cargo of fertilizer, was in transit near Bab al-Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea when it was attacked.

One missile hit the side of the ship, causing water to enter the engine room and its stern to sag, said its operator, the Blue Fleet Group.

A second missile hit the vessel's deck without causing major damage, Blue Fleet CEO Roy Khoury told AFP.

A coalition warship and another merchant vessel responded to the vessel's distress call to assist the crew.

The merchant vessel evacuated the multi-national 24-member crew to Djibouti, as Rubymar leaked oil and was in grave danger of sinking.

The attack inflicted the most significant damage yet to a commercial ship amid the current Red Sea crisis. It also is having a considerable environmental impact.

"The ship is anchored but slowly taking on water," the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a February 23 post on X.

"The unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant damage to the ship, which caused an 18-mile (29km) oil slick," it said.

"The MV Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster," it added.

Houthis' disregard for environment

"The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies," CENTCOM said.

The area's fishing industry has a half-million employees. Many fishermen say they are frightened to put out to sea amid the Houthis' ongoing attacks.

Rubymar's operator said February 22 the ship was still afloat, though low in the water, and could be towed to Djibouti in the coming week.

Khoury said for the time being there was no risk of it sinking, adding that this fate is "always a possibility."

The Houthis have played fast and loose with the environment before, placing their own agenda ahead of the potential consequences of their actions on the Yemeni people.

For years, the Iran-backed group stalled and actively obstructed efforts to prevent an oil spill in the Red Sea of potentially catastrophic proportions by using the corroding oil tanker FSO Safer as a political bargaining chip.

Maintenance operations on the Safer, moored off the Red Sea port of Ras Issa, within the coastal waters of the Houthi-controlled port of al-Hodeidah, were suspended in 2015 because of Yemen's war.

Worries began to lift last August, when the United Nations (UN) announced the completion of a complex transfer of the oil to a new vessel. But the remainder of the work has stalled amid the Houthis' ongoing attacks.

US, UK launch 4th wave of strikes

As the Houthis continue with their attacks, US and British forces on February 24 carried out a fourth wave of strikes against 18 Houthi targets in eight locations in Yemen.

The strikes targeted weapon storage facilities, attack drones, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter, said a joint statement co-signed by Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

"The Houthis' now more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November constitute a threat to the global economy, as well as regional security and stability, and demand an international response," it said.

The UK Ministry of Defense said four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s targeted "several very long-range drones, used by the Houthis for both reconnaissance and attack missions" at a site northeast of Sanaa on February 24.

"The United States will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways," Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said in a separate statement after the strikes.

"We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm Middle Eastern economies, cause environmental damage, and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries."