The Pentagon said on Tuesday that the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, abandoned in the Red Sea after a pirate attack by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen on August 21, appears to be leaking oil — possibly the prelude to a much-feared environmental catastrophe.
The Sounion was en route from Iraq to Greece with 150,000 tons of crude oil when it came under repeated attack by the Houthis, including pirate attacks with armed men in small boats. The ship was eventually disabled with multiple explosions and caught fire in several locations along its superstructure. The crew was rescued by ASPIDES, the European naval task force in the Red Sea.
This photo released by the European Union’s Operation Aspides shows fires burning aboard the oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea on August 25, 2024. (European Union’s Operation Aspides via AP)
The Houthis gleefully celebrated their successful terrorist attack by broadcasting images of the burning ship on their state media. The Biden-Harris administration helplessly complained that the burning oil tanker, which is much larger than the infamous Exxon Valdez tanker at the heart of a historic environmental catastrophe in the late 1980s, posed a major threat to the surrounding sea.
“Through these attacks, the Houthis have made clear they are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems that Yemenis and other communities in the region rely on for their livelihoods, just as they have undermined the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the region through their reckless attacks,” the State Department said on Saturday.
The Pentagon initially said there was no sign of oil leaking from the stricken tanker but, on Tuesday, it revised its appraisal and warned the Sounion now appears to be leaking oil.
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According to Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, an unspecified “third party” tried to send tugboats to haul the stricken Sounion to safety, but the Houthis drove them away by threatening to attack them.
“These are simply reckless acts of terrorism which continue to destabilize global and regional commerce, put the lives of innocent civilian mariners at risk and imperil the vibrant maritime ecosystem in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis’ own backyard,” Ryder said.
The Biden-Harris administration launched a highly-touted multinational project to protect Red Sea shipping called Operation Prosperity Guardian in December. The administration’s efforts have sadly failed to deter attacks by the Houthis.
The BBC noted that videos of the burning ship circulated by the Houthis suggest the terrorists were able to board the vessel after it was disabled and evacuated, so they could use explosive charges to set it on fire.
Houthi supporters attend an anti-Israel and anti-American rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on August 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
ASPIDES published its own assessment on Wednesday and said it did not see signs of an oil spill. It also said the ship is “anchored and not drifting.”
ASPIDES nevertheless warned the Sounion “poses both a navigational risk and a serious and imminent threat of regional pollution.” The danger can only be neutralized with “close coordination and active participation of regional states.”
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) condemned the attack on the Sounion on Wednesday and expressed its concerns about the environmental hazard.
“This is yet another unacceptable attack on international shipping, putting the lives of innocent seafarers at risk,” said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.
“The risk of an oil spill, posing an extremely serious environmental hazard, remains high,” he added.
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Dominguez said the IMO is “in communication with national, regional, and U.N. entities,” and stands ready to “offer support with any technical assistance to address the ongoing safety, security and environmental challenges posed by the stricken vessel.”
“I continue to monitor the situation closely and reiterate my call for an immediate end to the illegal, cowardly and unjustifiable attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea area,” he said.
“Merchant ships trading essential supplies and the seafarers serving on them should be free to navigate worldwide, unhindered by geopolitical tensions,” he urged.
Industry sources said on Wednesday that the cost of insurance for ships sailing through the Red Sea has nearly doubled in the week since the Sounion was attacked. The increased insurance cost will add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of each passage through the Red Sea – except for Chinese vessels, which are paying lower premiums because they have been promised safe passage by the Houthi terrorists.
