THE BURNING GREEK OIL TANKER ATTACKED BY HOUTHIS APPEARS TO BE LEAKING OIL

Sounion, an oil tanker owned by Greece based Delta Tankers, was attacked by the Iran-backed Houthi Militia last week on 22nd August, in the Red Sea. Several projectiles were fired on the vessel from 2 tug boats off Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, after which it caught fire. The 29 member crew was safely evacuated by the intervention of a French destroyer and taken to the safety of the EU Mission in Djibouti.

However, the latest update about the vessel presents a grim picture. Recent reports reveal that the fire caused by the attack has damaged the ship’s mainframe and it has started leaking oil. The vessel was transporting one million barrels of oil through the Red Sea when it had the misfortune of running into the Houthi Militants. The oil spill could spell a disaster for the marine ecology of the region.

In a televised speech, Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson declared that they attacked the tanker in part because Delta Tankers violated its ban on "entry to the ports of occupied Palestine".

According to Pentagon spokesperson, Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a third party had tried to salvage the situation by sending two tugboats towards Sunion, but they were threatened with attack by Houthis Rebels. He said that, "These are simply reckless acts of terrorism which continue to destabilise global and regional commerce, put the lives of innocent civilian mariners at risk and imperil the vibrant maritime ecosystem in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis' own backyard".