Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis vowed on Sunday to proceed concentrating on British ships within the Gulf of Aden following the sinking of UK-owned vessel Rubymar.
The U.S. navy confirmed on Saturday that the UK-owned vessel Rubymar had sunk after being struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Yemeni Houthi militants on Feb. 18.
“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 overseas minister within the Houthi-led authorities, stated in a submit on X.
“It is a rogue state that attacks Yemen and partners with America in sponsoring ongoing crimes against civilians in Gaza.”
Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles towards worldwide industrial transport since mid-November, saying they’re performing in solidarity with Palestinians towards Israel’s navy actions in Gaza.
Their Red Sea assaults have disrupted international transport, forcing companies to re-route to longer and dearer journeys round southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas struggle may unfold to destabilise the broader Middle East.
The U.S. and Britain started putting Houthi targets in Yemen in January in retaliation for the assaults on Red Sea transport.
(Reuters – Reporting by Mohamed Ghobari in Aden; Writing by Adam Makary and Jana Choukeir; Editing by Jan Harvey)
