The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels may have sunk the MV Sounion oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, causing a million barrels of oil to spill into the Red Sea. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller warned about this on Saturday, August 24.
The tanker’s crew was evacuated, but “the Houthis appear determined to sink the vessel and its cargo at sea,” the US Foreign Office said. The Iranian-backed rebels have made it clear in their attacks across several months that they intend to “destroy the fishing economy and local ecosystems that support the livelihood of Yemenis and other communities in the region,” said Miller. He called on the Houthis to “stop these activities in immediately.”
Houthi attacked the oil tanker MV Sounion
The MV Sounion, owned by a Greek company and carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil, was hit by three shells off the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on August 21. Yemen’s Houthis said they fired drones and missiles at the tanker.
The EU Aspides naval mission to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea has evacuated the crew of the MV Sounion, consisting of two Russians and 23 Filipinos, to safety. Since then, the ship, according to Delta Tankers, has been anchored in the Red Sea between Eritrea and Yemen. Aspides also warned that the tanker left unchecked is a danger to shipping and the environment.
On 23 August, the UK Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO) reported that three fires had broken out on the MV Sounion. A video posted by the Houthis on social media showed three explosions that are believed to have occurred on a tanker.
Houthis attack civilian ships in the Red Sea
Against the backdrop of Israel’s war against the terrorist group Hamas, Yemen’s Houthis have been attacking commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea since early October 2023, including the use of attack drones and missiles. Houthis, backed by Iran, which is affiliated with the terrorist group Hamas, say they are acting in “solidarity” with the Palestinians.
A leak of one million barrels of oil from the MV Sounion would be about four times the amount of fuel released into the sea by the Exxon Valdez tanker accident off the coast of Alaska in 1989. The resulting oil spill is considered one of the most devastating environmental disasters in history.
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2024-08-25 11:15:44
