The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion, which was attacked by Yemen’s Houthis final week, continues to be on hearth within the Crimson Sea and now seems to be leaking oil, the Pentagon has mentioned.
The tanker was focused final week by a number of projectiles off Yemen’s port metropolis of Hodeidah. The Houthis, who management Yemen’s most populous areas, mentioned they had been behind the assault.
The Sounion is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil and if a spill happens, has the potential to be among the many largest from a ship in recorded historical past.
Pentagon spokesperson Air Pressure Maj Gen Patrick Ryder mentioned on Tuesday {that a} third celebration had tried to ship two tugs to assist salvage the Sounion, however the Houthis threatened to assault them.
“These are merely reckless acts of terrorism which proceed to destabilise international and regional commerce, put the lives of harmless civilian mariners in danger and imperil the colourful maritime ecosystem within the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis’ personal again yard,” Ryder mentioned.
He added that the US army was working with different companions within the area to find out the way to assist the vessel and mitigate potential environmental impression.
The Iran-aligned group has sunk two ships and killed no less than three crew members of their 10-month marketing campaign, which has upended international ocean transport by forcing vessel homeowners to keep away from the Suez Canal shortcut.
The Houthis mentioned they attacked the tanker partially as a result of Delta Tankers violated its ban on “entry to the ports of occupied Palestine”, Houthi army spokesperson Yahya Saree mentioned in a televised speech.
The Sounion was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be focused within the Crimson Sea this month.
The Iran-aligned group has been targeting ships in solidarity with Palestinians within the struggle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The most important recorded ship-source spill was in 1979, when about 287,000 metric tonnes of oil escaped from the Atlantic Empress after it collided with one other crude provider within the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Tobago throughout a storm, in line with Worldwide Tanker Homeowners Air pollution Federation.
