The footage confirms the group’s intention to sink the tanker in Yemeni waters.
Following the attack, the Houthis have agreed to allow tugs and rescue vessels access to the SOUNION to assist with salvage efforts. Operation ASPIDES, a naval operation in the area, has warned vessels passing nearby, advising them to proceed with caution due to the navigational risk and potential for regional pollution posed by the damaged ship.
In coordination with European authorities, the operation further stated that EU NAVAL FORCES ASPIDES is assessing the situation and is prepared to take any necessary action to prevent a severe environmental crisis.
This incident comes exactly one year after a successful UN-led operation to remove over 1 million barrels of oil from the FSO Safer, an abandoned storage vessel off Yemen’s coast. That operation prevented a major environmental, humanitarian, and economic disaster in a region already impacted by prolonged conflict.
A spill from the Safer would have exposed millions to polluted air, disrupted vital supplies, and caused massive economic damage, with the UN estimating cleanup costs at $20 billion.
The attack on the SOUNION could prove to be one of the most significant actions by the Houthis to date. Since November, the group has conducted several missile and drone attacks on commercial ships in the region, claiming to support Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, no direct links have been found between the MT SOUNION and any of the countries typically targeted by the group.