Houthis claim to inflict 'catastrophic damage' on British cargo ship

The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen claimed this week to have damaged a British cargo ship flying the Belizean flag despite ongoing U.K. and U.S.-led strikes on their positions.

For months, the Houthis have harassed maritime shipping in the Red Sea from their slice of northern Yemen on the shores of the critical waterway. Their activities have forced the diversion of many commercial vessels from the area in favor of a much longer route around the Cape of Good Hope.

Some vessels, however, have continued to brave the Red Sea's waters, including the Rubymar, which the Houthis claim "suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete halt," due to the Sunday attack, according to Politico.

"As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden," Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare'e said.

"Between 9:30 and 10:45 p.m., Feb. 18, two anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen toward MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. One of the missiles struck the vessel, causing damage," U.S. Central Command said in a statement. "The ship issued a distress call and a coalition warship along with another merchant vessel responded to the call to assist the crew of the MV Rubymar. The crew was transported to a nearby port by the merchant vessel."

The current status of the vessel remains unclear.

The strike is something of a black eye to the western powers, which have waged multiple attacks on the rebel group in a bid to shut down their harassment of the shipping lane.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.