The salvage operation for the Greek oil tanker "Sounion," which has been stranded in the Red Sea since being targeted by the Houthi group, is expected to begin in the coming days, according to informed sources.

Reuters reported on Friday, August 30th, 2024, that an initial plan for the operation was finalized and is expected to be launched within 48 hours. However, sources emphasized the complexity of the operation due to the Houthis' placement of explosives on board the tanker.

The Iranian-backed Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, has carried out multiple attacks on the Sounion, a 274.2-meter long vessel carrying nearly a million barrels of oil. The group had previously sabotaged the tanker, rendering it inoperable.

Despite claiming to allow rescue teams to tow the burning vessel to a safe area, the Houthis announced on Thursday that they had planted explosives on the ship. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, in his weekly address, confirmed that his forces had carried out a "bold and courageous operation" this week, "storming the Sounion, destroying its cargo, targeting the ship itself, planting explosives, and detonating it."

Reuters sources clarified that the priority of the operation, whether to tow the ship to a port or arrange for the transfer of its cargo, hinges on an assessment of its condition. "It's not an easy task to transfer the oil cargo to another ship while there are explosives on board," the sources said. "In any case, the EU naval mission 'EUNAVFOR MED IRINI' will protect the ship and escort it to a safe port."

Greece has reached out to Saudi Arabia for assistance, while the United Nations has been notified of a potential oil spill detected near the Sounion.

A spokesperson for the Athens-based ship operator, Delta Tankers, stated, "Delta Tankers is doing everything possible to salvage the ship (and the cargo). For security reasons, we are not in a position to comment further."

Earlier, the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) stated that to avoid a catastrophic environmental disaster, they are coordinating with European authorities to assess the situation and take precautionary measures, including the potential towing of the tanker.

Days ago, the EU mission warned of an environmental catastrophe in the Red Sea after successfully evacuating the crew of the Greek oil tanker following a series of Houthi attacks approximately 77 nautical miles west of Hodeidah. The attacks resulted in the tanker running aground and its engines failing, although the crew remained unharmed.

The Houthi group, which controls the most densely populated areas of Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Sounion last Thursday.

EUNAVFOR MED IRINI reported seeing fires in at least five locations on the ship's deck, as well as a blaze in part of the superstructure. They confirmed their successful rescue of the crew of the Sounion on Thursday following a distress call from the captain.

Since last November, the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, has launched attacks using missiles and drones against commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.