The Pentagon said Tuesday that a Greek-flagged oil tanker Sunion, The ship, which was left abandoned in the Red Sea following a pirate attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists from Yemen on August 21, appears to be leaking oil, which could be a harbinger of a much-feared environmental disaster.
of Sunion It was en route from Iraq to Greece carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil. Repeated attacks The Houthi attacks also included attacks by armed pirates in small boats. The ship was eventually disabled by multiple explosions and several fires broke out in the superstructure. The crew was rescued by the European Naval Task Force ASPIDES in the Red Sea.
This photo released by the European Union's Operation Aspides shows a fire burning on the oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea on Aug. 25, 2024. (European Union's Operation Aspides via The Associated Press)
The Houthis aired footage of the burning boat on state media and celebrated the success of the terrorist attack. Complained Burning oil tankers are notorious Exxon Valdez The tanker Historical The environmental disasters of the late 1980s posed a major threat to the surrounding oceans.
“Through these attacks, the Houthis have made clear they are prepared to destroy the fisheries and local ecosystems that Yemenis and other communities in the region rely on for their livelihoods, as well as undermine the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance to the region through their reckless attacks,” the State Department said on Saturday.
The Pentagon initially said there were no signs of oil leaking from the tanker, but on Tuesday revision Its rating and warnings Sunion It seems like oil is leaking.
WATCH — Wesley Clark: Biden's military 'micromanagement' of the Houthis is the same as the failed Vietnam strategy:
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said an unspecified “third party” had attempted to send tugboats to tow away the victims. Sunion They were evacuated to safety, but the Houthis drove them away, threatening to attack.
“These are simply reckless acts of terrorism that continue to destabilize global and regional commerce, endanger the lives of innocent civilian mariners, and put at risk the vibrant marine ecosystems of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis' backyard,” Ryder said.
Biden-Harris Administration Release In December, a multinational project to protect shipping in the Red Sea, Operation Prosperity Guardian, was launched with great publicity. The administration's efforts Unfortunately, it failed. To thwart Houthi attacks.
The B.B.C. attention Video of the burning boat circulated by the Houthis suggests that after it was disabled and evacuated, the terrorists were able to board the vessel and set it on fire using explosives.
Houthi supporters take part in an anti-Israel and anti-American rally in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on August 16, 2024. (Photo by Osama Abdulrahman/AP)
Aspides Published The ministry carried out its own assessment on Wednesday and said it had found no signs of an oil spill, and that the ship was “at anchor and not adrift.”
ASPIDES still warned Sunion This danger, which “poses both a navigation hazard and a serious and imminent threat of regional pollution,” can only be neutralized through “close coordination and active participation of the countries of the region.”
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sunion The ministry expressed concern over the environmental damage on Wednesday.
“This is another unacceptable attack on international shipping, putting the lives of innocent seafarers at risk,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said.
“The risk of an oil spill causing extremely serious environmental damage remains high,” he added.
WATCH — Pentagon: “Some” Houthi attacks are succeeding, even as we damage “some” of their capabilities:
Dominguez said the IMO was “in contact with countries, regions and UN agencies” and stood ready to “provide all technical assistance to address the ongoing safety, security and environmental challenges posed by ships in distress.”
“I continue to monitor the situation closely and reiterate my call for an immediate end to the illegal, despicable and unjustified attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea region,” he said.
“Merchant ships and their crews carrying vital supplies should be able to navigate the world freely, unhindered by geopolitical tensions,” he said.
Industry sources said Insurance premiums for ships sailing through the Red Sea rose on Wednesday. Sunion The insurance premium hikes will add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of each transit through the Red Sea, except for Chinese ships, which pay less because they are promised safe passage by Houthi terrorists.
