The Greek-registered Sounion, carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil, poses a significant environmental risk after being set ablaze by Yemen’s Houthi militants on August 23. Fires continue to burn on the vessel, and efforts to salvage it are now exploring alternative solutions.
Operation ASPIDES, the EU naval mission in the Red Sea, which has been providing security to the tugboats involved in the operation since September 1, confirmed that the private companies contracted for the salvage concluded that the conditions were not safe to conduct the towing.
The mission stated: “The private companies responsible for the salvage operation have concluded that the conditions were not met to conduct the towing operation and that it was not safe to proceed. Alternative solutions are now being explored by the private companies.”
Situation Is Critical
The situation remains critical, with the potential environmental impact of a spill being catastrophic. If the Sounion were to sink and release its entire cargo, it could become the fifth-largest oil spill in history, potentially surpassing the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster by nearly four times.
The MT Sounion, operated by Greece-based Delta Tankers, is the third vessel owned by the company to be attacked in the Red Sea in recent weeks. The tanker was en route from Iraq to Greece with a crew of 25, including two Russians and 23 Filipinos, when it came under attack. The attacks are part of a broader series of drone and missile strikes carried out by Iranian-backed Houthi forces on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023, in solidarity with Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Boskalis’ SMIT Salvage, which has been contracted for the operation, faces a challenging task. The salvage company is well-known for its role in removing 1.1 million barrels of oil from the decaying FSO Safer, an abandoned oil storage ship off Yemen's Red Sea coast, just one year earlier. The United Nations had warned that a major spill from the FSO Safer would have severely impacted fishing communities, cost an estimated $20 billion to clean up, and disrupted shipping through the critical Bab al-Mandab strait.
As of now, the MT Sounion remains anchored with fires still burning on its main deck. The EU mission reports there are no visible signs of an oil spill, but the risk remains high. The mission continues to focus on its mandate to ensure freedom of navigation for merchant vessels in the area.
New Attacks Are Expected
The recent attacks underscore the continued threat to regional and global commerce from the ongoing conflict. The US Central Command has described the Houthi actions as reckless and warned that they continue to destabilize both regional and global trade routes. On Monday, the Panama-owned MV Blue Lagoon I and the Saudi-owned MV Amjad were also struck by ballistic missiles and a drone, with the Amjad carrying nearly two million barrels of oil—almost double the amount on the Sounion.
As the situation evolves, the international community remains concerned about the potential for further attacks and environmental damage.
