Barran Press
The Greek-flagged oil tanker "Sounion" remains ablaze in the Red Sea, with oil reportedly still leaking, after being attacked by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries. This was confirmed by Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder on Tuesday evening.
Ryder stated that a third party attempted to send two tugboats to assist in rescuing the "Sounion," but the Houthis threatened to attack them. The tanker is carrying approximately one million barrels of crude oil.
"These reckless acts of terrorism continue to destabilize global and regional trade, endanger the lives of innocent civilian mariners, and threaten the vital maritime ecosystem of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (the Houthis' backyard)," Ryder said.
The Pentagon spokesperson added that the U.S. military is working with other partners in the region to determine how to assist the vessel and mitigate potential environmental damage.
The Houthis have previously sunk two ships and killed at least three sailors during their ongoing ten-month campaign, disrupting international maritime shipping traffic by forcing shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal.
Days ago, the European Union's "ASPIDES" mission warned of an environmental disaster in the Red Sea after successfully evacuating the crew of a Greek oil tanker that had been subjected to a series of Houthi attacks approximately 77 nautical miles west of Hodeidah. The attacks caused the tanker to run aground and its engines to fail, although no crew members were injured.
The Houthis, who control the most populous areas of Yemen, claimed responsibility for attacking the "Sounion" tanker in the Red Sea last week. ASPIDESconfirmed that fires were observed in at least five locations on the ship's deck, as well as a portion of the superstructure.
The European mission ASPIDES, tasked with contributing to the protection of ships and launched in mid-February, confirmed that it successfully rescued the crew of the Greek tanker "Sounion" last Thursday after receiving a distress call from the captain.
Since last November, the internationally designated terrorist group, the Houthis, have launched missile and drone attacks against commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Aden.
These attacks have led to increased maritime insurance costs and prompted many international shipping companies to favor the much longer route around the southern tip of Africa.
To deter the Houthis, the U.S.-led "Operation Sentinel" coalition, which includes Britain as a key participant, began airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in January 2024. The Houthis, in turn, expanded their operations to include ships associated with Washington and London, as they announced.