A crude oil tanker that had been ablaze for several weeks in the Red Sea following an attack by Houthi rebels and the threat of a massive oil spill has been rescued. This was reported by a security company.
The Greek tanker MV Sounion, carrying one million barrels of oil, was attacked and detonated by Yemeni rebels who continue such assaults as part of a "solidarity campaign with HAMAS" in connection with the war in Gaza.
It took rescuers months to tow the Sounion, extinguish the fire, and unload the remaining oil.
"After three challenging weeks, the fires were extinguished, the cargo tanks were patched and filled with inert gas, and the vessel was deemed safe," stated Ambrey, a private security firm that helped lead the operation alongside European naval forces and rescuers. "In early October, the vessel was towed north to Suez for unloading, which was successfully completed."
The U.S. State Department warned that an oil spill from the Sounion "would be four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster," which occurred in 1989 off the coast of Alaska.
The Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital Sana'a for over a decade and are fighting a coalition led by Saudi Arabia supporting the exiled government, have yet to comment.
Initially, they attacked the Greek-flagged tanker on August 21, using firearms, projectiles, and a drone boat.
A French destroyer operating under the EU operation "Aspides" rescued a crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four personnel from the private security firm after they abandoned the ship, and transported them to nearby Djibouti.
Later, the Houthis released footage showing that they had planted explosives aboard the vessel and detonated it.
Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the rebels have attacked approximately 100 merchant vessels using missiles and drones.
They seized one vessel and sank two, resulting in the deaths of four sailors.
Other missiles and drones were either intercepted by the U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which included Western military ships.
The rebels claim they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. to pressure Israel to halt its campaign against HAMAS in Gaza.
However, many of the attacked vessels have little relation to the conflict, with some even heading to Iran, which supports the rebels.
In recent weeks, the pace of maritime attacks by the Houthis has diminished.
Nonetheless, they continue to launch drones and missiles aimed at Israel.
On Friday, Israeli military officials stated that they had again struck Houthi military infrastructure in Yemen, including the Khizaz power station and the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Isa on the western coast.
Houthi-controlled media reported the death of one worker and injuries to six others at the Ras Isa port, the day after the Houthis attacked Israel using drones.