A British Cargo Ship Faces an Uncertain Fate in the Gulf of Aden

Sources in the shipping sector announced today, Wednesday, that a cargo ship abandoned by its crew four days ago in the Gulf of Aden after being targeted by missiles launched by the Yemeni Houthi movement is still adrift despite taking on water, and it may be towed to the nearby country of Djibouti. The risks of shipping have increased due to the repeated attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis using drones and missiles in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since November. U.S. and British forces have responded with strikes on Houthi facilities but have not yet succeeded in halting the attacks. The crew of the ship "Rubymar," flying the flag of Belize, abandoned it after it was attacked on Sunday, and another commercial vessel rescued the crew members. The maritime security company LSS-SAPU, which owns the ship, told Reuters on Monday that water had leaked into the vessel and that its operators were considering options. It has not been possible to contact the ship's British-registered owner or the ship management company based in Lebanon. A maritime notice has warned ships in the area to avoid the abandoned vessel.