UK-owned Rubymar is first ship to sink from Houthi attack, pouring oil and fertilizer into Red Sea

Oil and fertilizer have poured into the Red Sea from a sinking cargo ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels, putting the local environment and a critical waterway for cargo shipments to Europe at risk.

U.S. officials confirmed early Sunday that U.K.-owned MV Rubymar carrying 21,000 metric tons of fertilizer had sunk two weeks after it was attacked on February 18. It's the first vessel to sink from a Houthi attack after the group started targeting commercial shipping in the waterway last November.

The 172-meter-long Rubymar started leaking fuel shortly after the attack, leaving a 30-kilometer oil slick across the waterway. Although the 24 crew members on the ship were safely evacuated, the U.S. Central Command said on X early Sunday that the leak poses an "environmental risk" in the area and could put other vessels moving through the Red Sea's busy shipping lanes in danger.

The Houthi attacks have heightened concerns for the Red Sea’s coral reefs, which scientists have found to be so far resilient to climate change. Dozens of ships have been attacked by the Iranian-backed group, who says they are singling out vessels linked to Israel.

The U.S. central command said the Houthis "pose a heightened threat to global maritime activities."

Houthi revolutionary committee leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said in a post on X that U.K. leader Rishi Sunak and his government "bear responsibility" for the Rubymar attack because of their support of "genocide and siege" in Gaza. "You have a chance to salvage the MV Rubymar by sending a letter of guarantee," allowing aid trucks into Gaza, he said.