Salvage Operations to Begin on Burning Oil Tanker in Red Sea
Salvage operations are set to begin shortly on the Sounion, an oil tanker that has been ablaze in the Red Sea for days after being hit by Houthi missiles, according to the European Union’s naval force in the region, Bloomberg reports.
Private companies will undertake the salvage effort under the military protection of EUNAVFOR Aspides, the EU’s naval task force, although specific details and company names have not been disclosed. Despite the ongoing fires on the vessel’s deck, there are no visible signs of an oil spill, according to the task force.
The Sounion, carrying some 1 million barrels of crude oil loaded in Iraq, was first struck by missiles on August 21 after rounding the Yemeni coast to enter the Red Sea. A second attack on August 23 ignited fires that have continued to burn. The EU naval force has expressed serious concerns about an environmental disaster due to the massive volume of oil onboard.
The attacks on the Sounion are part of a series of attacks on vessels transiting the southern Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels since late last year. These attacks, which have included the use of drones and missiles, are believed to be in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The attacks have resulted in the sinking of a vessel, casualties among mariners, and forced many shippers to reroute their traffic around Africa.
