Salvagers halt plan to tow away burning Red Sea oil tanker
Salvagers abandoned an initial effort to tow away a burning oil tanker in the Red Sea targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels as it “was not safe to proceed,” a European Union naval mission said, leaving the Sounion stranded and its one million barrels of oil at risk of spilling.
While a major spill has yet to occur, the incident threatens to become one of the worst yet in the Iranian-backed rebels’ campaign that has disrupted the $1trn (€0.91trn) in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. It also has halted some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen.
“Theprivatecompaniesresponsible for the salvage operation have concluded that the conditions were not met to conduct the towing operation and that it was not safe to proceed,” the EU’s Operation Aspides mission said, without elaborating.
“Alternative solutions are now being explored by the private companies.”
The EU mission did not respond to questions from Associated Press about the announcement. The safety issue could be the fire burning aboard the vessel. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC taken yesterday afternoon, and analysed by AP, showed the Sounion still ablaze.
The US State Department has warned a spill from the Sounion could be “four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster” in 1989 off Alaska.
Meanwhile, there is the threat of attacks by the Houthis, who on Monday targeted two other oil tankers traveling through the Red Sea. The Houthis have suggested they’ll allow a salvage operation to take place, but critics say the rebels have used the threat of an environmental disaster previously involving another oil tanker off Yemen to extract concessions from the international community.
The Houthis initially attacked the Greek-flagged Sounion tanker on August 21 with small arms fire, projectiles and a drone boat. A French destroyer operating as part of Operation Aspides rescued its crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, after they abandoned the vessel and took them to nearby Djibouti.
Last week, the Houthis released footage showing they planted explosives on board the Sounion and ignited them in a propaganda video, something the rebels have done before in their campaign.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October.