Yemen’s Houthi militant group is behind the fire attack on the Greek-flagged Sounion oil tanker carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil that was left burning adrift in the Red Sea.
The oil tanker is a “navigational and environmental hazard,” the EU’s Aspides naval mission said in a statement, Euronews reports. The oil spill has the potential to cause serious environmental damage.
Sounion was first hit by gunfire from two small boats which approached it 77 nautical miles (143km) west of the Yemeni port of Hudaydah, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office said.
After the gunfire, three unidentified projectiles hit the tanker, causing a fire that left it without engine power. A French destroyer rescued the 25 members of the crew, Fillippinos and Russians, and four members of security and took them to nearby Djibouti.
Yemen’s Houthi claim to be behind the attack. They have been launching attacks against ships in the Red Sea since the ongoing Israel-Hamas war over the Gaza Strip erupted. In the past few months, there have been a handful of such Houthi attacks on Greek-owned ships.
The attacks continue to disrupt a trade route in which one trillion euros worth of goods pass through it annually.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported the fires in a note to mariners on Friday night.
A US defense official told Euronews, on condition of anonymity, that American officials were aware of the fires and continued to monitor the situation.
Houthis celebrate attack of Greek oil tanker
Yemen’s Houthi celebrated the burning of the oil tanker, with Yemeni armed forces releasing footage of the attack. They warned against violating their maritime ban and threatened escalated actions against ships linked to Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, while assuring safe passage for compliant vessels.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement has repeatedly targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November. The Houthis claim they act in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
They also claim they only target ships linked to Israel, the US, and the UK, yet they have attacked other ships they believe are linked to the above countries, as well, as is the case with the Greek Sounion.
Even though Western powers have sent warships to monitor the sea area and deter attacks against merchant vessels, the Houthi terrorists continue the attacks.
A US Department of State spokesperson issued a statement regarding the Houthi attacks:
“The United States is gravely concerned by the Houthis’ attacks against the oil tanker MT DELTA SOUNION. The Houthis’ continued attacks threaten to spill a million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, an amount four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster. While the crew has been evacuated, the Houthis appear determined to sink the ship and its cargo into the sea.
Through these attacks, the Houthis have made clear they are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems that Yemenis and other communities in the region rely on for their livelihoods, just as they have undermined the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the region through their reckless attacks. We call on the Houthis to cease these actions immediately and urge other nations to step forward to help avert this environmental disaster.”
