Operation underway to prevent oil spill after Houthi tanker attack
Efforts are in progress to prevent a tanker, targeted by Houthi rebels, from leaking around one million barrels of oil into the Red Sea.
The Greek-owned and flagged MV Sounion was abandoned by its crew off the coast of Oman after being hit by the Yemeni rebel group on August 21.
Private companies, protected by European Union military forces, will attempt to salvage the vessel, which could potentially cause one of the largest oil spills ever recorded and was still on fire as of Monday.
Over the past 10 months, the Houthis have attacked several ships in the Red Sea, a campaign they claim supports Hamas in Gaza.
US Central Command stated late Tuesday that the damaged tanker “poses a significant risk of a major environmental disaster” and accused the Houthis of “reckless acts of terrorism.”
While a salvage operation is reportedly underway, it remains unclear if salvage vessels have reached the Sounion. On Monday, the EU’s military operation in the region reported that several fires were still burning on the tanker’s main deck, but no visible signs of an oil spill had been observed.
The Houthis – who have falsely claimed to only target Israeli, US, and UK ships – attacked the Sounion with gunfire, before hitting it with three unidentified projectiles, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said last week. Its 25 crew members were rescued by a European warship.
The tanker was later attacked again, with footage released by the group showing Houthi militants boarding the ship and lighting fires on its deck.
The leader of the Houthis called the attack “brave and bold” in a recent address.
The US State Department has previously warned a spill from the Sounion could be almost four times as large as the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. That incident saw 2,100km (1,300 miles) of coastline contaminated after a tanker ran aground off Alaska.
The Houthis have continued to target crude oil tankers in the Red Sea in recent days.
On Monday, US military command said two vessels carrying oil were hit with ballistic missiles and a drone, including the Saudi-owned and flagged MV Amjad, which is said to be carrying around two million barrels of oil.
A US-led military operation has carried out strikes in Yemen, where the Houthis control much of the country, in an attempt to disrupt its ability to strike vessels passing through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
