A massive oil spill is looming in the Red Sea after Houthi rebels attacked a Greek-owned tanker. The MV Sounion, carrying one million barrels of oil, was hit on August 21 and abandoned by its crew. Now, a salvage operation is underway to prevent a disaster.
The attack was part of a campaign by the Iran-backed Houthi group, which claims to support Hamas in Gaza. However, the rebels have targeted several ships in the Red Sea over the past 10 months, sparking international concern.
Tanker Attack Sparks Environmental Alarm
The US military warns that the stricken tanker poses a significant environmental risk. “The possibility of a major environmental disaster is real,” said US Central Command. Furthermore, the EU’s military operation in the region has released images of the tanker, showing fires still burning on its deck nearly two weeks after the attack.
Private companies, backed by European Union military forces, will attempt to salvage the vessel. However, the task is daunting. The tanker is still on fire, and the risk of an oil spill is high.
The Houthi attack on the Sounion was brutal. Gunfire and three unidentified projectiles hit the ship, forcing its 25 crew members to flee. Houthi militants attacked the tanker again, despite a European warship previously rescuing the crew. Footage shows Houthi militants boarding the ship and lighting fires on its deck.
The US State Department has warned that a spill from the Sounion could be catastrophic, almost four times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. That incident contaminated 1,300 miles of coastline off Alaska.
The Houthis continue to target crude oil tankers in the Red Sea. On Monday, Houthi forces fired ballistic missiles and a drone, hitting two vessels carrying oil. A US-led military operation has launched strikes in Yemen to disrupt the Houthi’s ability to attack ships passing through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Time is running out to prevent a disaster. The salvage operation must succeed to avoid an environmental catastrophe.
