The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion, which was recently attacked by Yemen’s Houthis, is currently on fire in the Red Sea and is now showing signs of oil leakage, as confirmed by a Pentagon spokesman on Tuesday.
Last week, the Sounion was targeted by multiple projectiles near Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah. The Houthis, who hold control over significant parts of Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attack in the Red Sea. The group has been targeting ships in support of Palestinians amidst the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder revealed that a third party attempted to send two tugs to assist in salvaging the Sounion, but the Houthis issued threats against them. The tanker was carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil at the time of the attack. Ryder condemned the actions as 'reckless acts of terrorism' that not only disrupt global and regional commerce but also endanger the lives of innocent civilian mariners and threaten the maritime ecosystem in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The US military is collaborating with regional partners to assess how best to aid the vessel and minimize potential environmental repercussions.
Over the past 10 months, the Iran-aligned Houthis have sunk two ships and caused the deaths of at least three crew members in their ongoing campaign. This has led to significant disruptions in global ocean shipping, prompting vessel owners to avoid using the Suez Canal route.
The Houthis cited Delta Tankers' violation of their ban on 'entry to the ports of occupied Palestine' as one of the reasons for the attack, according to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.
The Sounion marks the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be targeted in the Red Sea this month. Following the attack, a fire broke out on board, which the crew managed to extinguish, as stated by Delta Tankers.
The largest recorded ship-source oil spill occurred in 1979 when approximately 287,000 metric tons of oil leaked from the Atlantic Empress after colliding with another crude carrier in the Caribbean Sea near Tobago during a storm, as reported by a federation.
