Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze following Houthi attack, reports EU naval mission

The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion has been on fire in the Red Sea since Aug. 23 after an attack by Yemen’s Houthis with no obvious signs of an oil spill, EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides said in a post on X on Monday.

The EU mission published photos dated Sunday showing fire and smoke coming out of the vessel’s main deck. Reuters has verified the authenticity of a Houthi video of a fiery assault, opens new tab on the ship.

The Sounion is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil and poses an environmental hazard, shipping officials said. Aspides said part of Sounion’s superstructure was on fire and that flames were observed in at least five locations on the vessel’s main deck. If a spill occurs, it has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history.

The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, have been attacking ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The Iran-aligned rebels have sunk two ships and killed at least three crew in their 10-month campaign that has upended global ocean shipping by forcing vessel owners to avoid the Suez Canal shortcut.

The Sounion is the third vessel owned by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be targeted by Houthi forces this month. The militants accused Delta Tankers of breaching their restriction on “entry to the ports of occupied Palestine.”

Satellite images from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Satellite 2 captured smoke at sea near the last known location of the Sounion.

Reuters confirmed the location by matching it with the last coordinates available from the LSEG ship tracker.

Although British and U.S. forces have been actively destroying Houthi drones and missile launch sites, analysts suggest that the attacks are likely to continue until a ceasefire is established in Gaza.