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News in brief

Urgent Salvage Operation Underway to Avert Red Sea Oil Spill Catastrophe

Tuesday 03 September 2024 - 12:00

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Efforts are underway to prevent a potential environmental disaster as a Greek-owned and flagged tanker, MV Sounion, targeted by Houthi rebels, risks spilling around one million barrels of oil into the Red Sea. The vessel was abandoned by its crew off the coast of Oman after being struck on 21 August by the Yemeni rebel group.

Private companies, operating under the protection of European Union military forces, are attempting to salvage the vessel, which remains on fire as of Monday. The potential oil spill from the MV Sounion could be one of the largest ever from a tanker, posing a significant threat to the marine environment.

The Houthis have targeted several ships in the Red Sea over the last 10 months, a campaign the Iran-backed group claims is in support of Hamas in Gaza. US military central command has condemned these actions as "reckless acts of terrorism," noting that the stricken tanker "threatens the possibility of a major environmental disaster."

On Monday, the EU’s military operation in the region reported that several fires were still burning on the tanker’s main deck, although there were no visible signs of an oil spill occurring yet. The Houthis, who have falsely claimed to only target Israeli, US, and UK ships, attacked the Sounion with gunfire before hitting it with three unidentified projectiles, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The 25 crew members were rescued by a European warship.

The tanker was later attacked again, with footage released by the group showing Houthi militants boarding the ship and lighting fires on its deck. The leader of the Houthis called the attack "brave and bold" in a recent address.

The US State Department has previously warned that a spill from the Sounion could be almost four times as large as the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. That incident saw 2,100km (1,300 miles) of coastline contaminated after a tanker ran aground off Alaska.

The Houthis have continued to target crude oil tankers in the Red Sea in recent days. On Monday, US military command reported that two vessels carrying oil were hit with ballistic missiles and a drone, including the Saudi-owned and flagged MV Amjad, which is said to be carrying around two million barrels of oil.

In response, a US-led military operation has carried out strikes in Yemen, where the Houthis control much of the country, in an attempt to disrupt their ability to strike vessels passing through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

The ongoing situation underscores the critical need for international cooperation to prevent environmental catastrophes and ensure the safety of maritime trade routes. The salvage operation for the MV Sounion is a race against time to avert a disaster that could have far-reaching ecological and economic consequences.