An oil tanker that had been burning for weeks in the Red Sea after being attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels has been successfully salvaged, a security firm confirmed on Friday. The tanker, named Sounion, was carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil when it was struck and sabotaged by the Iranian-backed Houthis as part of their campaign related to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
It took months for salvagers, along with a European naval force and private security firm Ambrey, to extinguish the fires, patch the cargo tanks, and offload the remaining crude oil. The vessel was then towed north to Suez for the removal of its cargo, which has now been completed.
The U.S. State Department had warned that a potential oil spill from the Sounion could have been four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989 off Alaska.
The Houthis, who have been in control of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, for over a decade, have not provided immediate comments on the salvage operation. The attack on the Sounion involved small arms fire, projectiles, and a drone boat, leading to the rescue of its crew by a French destroyer.
The Houthis have targeted numerous merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the conflict in Gaza began in October 2023. Their attacks have resulted in the seizure and sinking of vessels, as well as casualties among sailors. The rebels claim to target ships associated with Israel, the U.S., or the U.K., but some attacked vessels have had no connection to the conflict.
While the frequency of Houthi attacks on ships at sea has decreased in recent weeks, they continue to launch drones and missiles targeting Israel. The salvaging of the Sounion marks a significant step in preventing a potential environmental disaster in the Red Sea.
