DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A security firm announced on Friday that an oil tanker, which had been ablaze for several weeks in the Red Sea following an assault by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, has now been salvaged, averting a potential environmental catastrophe due to an oil spill. This incident involved the MV Sounion, which was carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil when it was attacked and later sabotaged using explosives by the Houthis, part of their broader campaign linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
On the same day, the Israeli military reported new airstrikes targeting what it referred to as Houthi military assets in Yemen. This included attacks on the Hizaz power plant and the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Isa along Yemen’s western coastline. Reports from media outlets under Houthi control indicated that three individuals sustained injuries following these strikes. This came just a day after the Iranian-backed Houthis launched drone strikes towards Israel, contributing to the ongoing cycle of assaults.
The Houthis, who have maintained a firm grip on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, for over a decade, have been engaged in a prolonged conflict with a Saudi-led coalition that supports the Yemeni exiled government. Despite the escalating hostilities, there was no immediate response from the Houthis regarding the situation of the Sounion tanker.
The process to salvage the Sounion, extinguish the flames, and remove the remaining crude oil required several months. According to Ambrey, a private security firm involved in the operation alongside a European naval task force, the fires were quenched, cargo tanks were secured with inert gas, and the vessel was eventually deemed safe. In early October, the tanker was successfully towed to Suez for the removal of its cargo, which has since been completed.
U.S. officials had previously warned that a potential spill from the Sounion could be “four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster” that occurred in 1989 off the coast of Alaska. The initial assault on the Sounion took place on August 21, when the Houthis attacked with small weapons, projectiles, and a drone boat. A French destroyer, part of the European Union’s Operation Aspides, subsequently rescued the 25 crew members—comprising Filipinos and Russians—as well as four private security personnel, after they evacuated the vessel and were taken to safety in Djibouti.
The Houthis later released video footage showing their operatives placing explosives on the Sounion and detonating them as part of their propaganda efforts, a tactic the rebels have utilized in previous campaigns. Since the onset of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for targeting around 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones. They have also captured one ship and sunk two others, incidents that have resulted in the deaths of four sailors. Some missiles and drones have been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea, while others have failed to reach their intended targets, which have included Western military vessels.
The rebels allege that their targets are vessels affiliated with Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom, as part of their strategy to compel an end to Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza. However, it is important to note that many of the vessels attacked had little or no direct relationship with the ongoing conflict, including those en route to Iran. Although the rate of Houthi attacks on maritime vessels has decreased in recent weeks, particularly regarding ships at sea, drone and missile assaults targeting Israel have persisted.
