Red Sea Tanker Leaks Oil After Attack, Pentagon Reports

Wednesday 28 August 2024 - 17:00

The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion, which was struck by Yemen’s Houthis last week, remains ablaze in the Red Sea and is now reportedly leaking oil, according to a Pentagon spokesman.

The Sounion, targeted by multiple projectiles off Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, was carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil when attacked. The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group, claimed responsibility for the attack, citing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder noted that efforts to assist the Sounion with two tugs were thwarted when the Houthis threatened to attack these vessels as well. Ryder condemned the attacks as “reckless acts of terrorism” that destabilize global commerce, endanger civilian mariners, and threaten the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden ecosystems.

The U.S. military, in collaboration with regional partners, is working to provide assistance and mitigate the environmental impact of the incident.

This attack on the Sounion is part of a broader campaign by the Houthis, who have previously sunk two ships and caused fatalities among crew members, significantly disrupting global shipping routes by forcing vessels to avoid the Suez Canal. The Houthis justified the attack by alleging that Delta Tankers, the company operating the Sounion, violated a ban on entering “occupied Palestine.”

The Sounion is the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be targeted in the Red Sea this month. The vessel’s fire, caused by the attack, has since been extinguished by the crew.

Historically, the largest ship-source oil spill occurred in 1979, when the Atlantic Empress collided with another crude carrier in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in an estimated 287,000 metric tons of oil spilled, according to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation.