Recent events in the Middle East have brought attention to a commercial ship that was attacked by Houthi rebels and subsequently sunk in the Red Sea. The U.S. Central Command has confirmed that the U.K.-owned carrier was struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile, resulting in its sinking. The vessel was transporting over 40,000 tons of fertilizer at the time of the attack.
The aftermath of the attack left an 18-mile-long oil slick as the ship began taking on water. This incident marks the first sinking of a vessel since Houthi rebels, with backing from Iran, intensified their targeting of ships following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.
Despite multiple retaliatory strikes by the United States and the United Kingdom, Houthi attacks on commercial ships have persisted. The ongoing conflict in the region has raised concerns about the safety of maritime activities in the Red Sea and surrounding areas.
