This follows an incident where Yemen’s Houthi rebels set fire to the Greek-owned tanker Sounion, which was carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil.
The tanker was disabled after a missile attack last week, and the situation escalated when the Houthis detonated explosives on the deck after the crew had been evacuated. The Pentagon issued a warning on Tuesday that the vessel was leaking part of its Iraqi crude oil cargo, increasing fears of a significant spill.
European Union Naval Task Force
A statement from the European Union naval task force on Wednesday described the Sounion as posing a "serious and imminent threat" but noted that the cargo had not yet leaked. The vessel, which is currently located 77 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, has visible fires and is listing, according to images released by the task force.
Dominguez stated that the risk of an oil spill remains high and poses a significant environmental hazard. A leak from the Sounion, whose cargo amounts to around 150,000 tonnes of oil, could lead to one of the most severe hydrocarbon spills since the Sanchi tanker disaster in 2018 or even the ABT Summer spill off Angola in 1991.
Salvage Efforts of Sounion
Efforts to salvage the Sounion have been complicated by threats from the Houthis, who have reportedly warned salvage crews to stay away or face attack.
According to the Financial Times, the Houthis have claimed their actions are in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Maritime risk expert Martin Kelly from EOS Risk Group noted that the situation could have severe consequences for coastal states dependent on the Red Sea’s ecosystem.
