The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) mission, known as "Aspides", announced on Friday, September 13, 2024, that it is standing ready to facilitate a new salvage operation for the tanker "Sounion" in the coming days. The mission will provide protection for commercially chartered vessels that will tow the ship to a safe location.

In a statement published on X (monitored by "Barran Press"), Aspides stated that the vessel remains on fire after being attacked in the Red Sea. It is currently anchored, not drifting, and there are no signs of oil leakage from the main cargo hold.

"To prevent an environmental catastrophe, it is crucial that public and private organizations and actors cooperate closely," Aspides stated, referring to the rescue of the "Sounion" oil tanker, which was targeted by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, on August 21, 2024.

"For this reason, the EU naval force in Aspides is standing ready to facilitate a new salvage operation in the coming days by providing protection for commercially chartered vessels that will tow the ship to a safe location," the statement added.

On September 3, 2024, Aspides announced the failure of a previous attempt to tow the tanker, stating that the conditions were "unfavorable" and that companies were seeking alternatives. The mission noted that the private companies responsible for the salvage operation "had concluded that the conditions were not suitable for conducting the towing operation and that it was not safe to proceed. They are now considering alternative solutions."

Earlier, the EU mission "Aspides" warned of an environmental catastrophe in the Red Sea after it successfully evacuated the crew of a Greek oil tanker that was subjected to a series of Houthi attacks, approximately 77 nautical miles west of Hodeidah. The attack caused the tanker to run aground and its engines to malfunction, but no crew members were injured.

The Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community and controlling the most densely populated areas of Yemen, claimed responsibility for attacking the "Sounion" oil tanker on August 21, 2024.

Aspides reported that fires were observed in at least five locations on the deck of the vessel, in addition to a fire in part of the superstructure. It confirmed that it had successfully rescued the crew of the Greek vessel "Sounion" last Thursday after receiving a distress call from the captain.

The "Sounion" tanker, registered in Greece, poses an environmental risk after being damaged in the attack carried out by Houthi forces on August 21. The tanker is carrying approximately one million barrels of crude oil. The Houthis claimed that they had mined the tanker with explosives.

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