The Houthis released a video of the Greek tanker SOUNION on fire in the Red Sea after attacking it
The Iranian-backed Houthi militia, also known as Ansar Allah, launched an attack on the Greek oil tanker Sounion off the coast of Al Hudaydah in Yemen, raising concerns about an environmental disaster in the Red Sea. The tanker, carrying over 150,000 tons of oil, has been burning for more than four days, and its failing engines threaten a potential oil spill.
According to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, the attack took place on Thursday evening. He claimed that Houthi forces targeted two commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden because the ships were associated with companies dealing with Israel, violating a ban on entry to Palestinian ports.
However, reports from Iraqi media contradicted this claim, stating that the Sounion was transporting oil from Iraq to Greece, not Israel. Iraq and Israel do not have any commercial ties.
This attack is the latest in a series of Houthi assaults on naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim their actions are in solidarity with Gaza, targeting ships associated with Israel or its allies.
Despite the formation of the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian alliance in December 2023 to safeguard navigation in the Red Sea, it has failed to prevent Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels.
In the first five months of 2024, the Houthis carried out more than 100 attacks on ships, many of which targeted oil tankers or commercial cargo vessels. This has led to disruptions in global shipping, affecting countries that depend on the Suez Canal and Red Sea routes, including Gulf nations and India.
The attack on the Sounion poses a significant environmental threat but is not the largest of its kind. The Houthis’ refusal to cooperate previously complicated efforts to address the FSO Safer, a supertanker abandoned off Al Hudaydah that held 1.1 million barrels of oil. The United Nations successfully emptied the vessel in August 2023, preventing a catastrophic oil spill.
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Houthi attack on Greek tanker SOUNION in the Red Sea
(Photo: EPA/HOUTHIS MEDIA CENTER)
Yemeni activists have shared videos on social media showing traces of oil leaks along the shores of Al Hudaydah and Aden, recorded on August 13 and 26, 2024.
Despite the risks, neither the Gulf states, Egypt, nor other countries bordering the Red Sea have issued statements on the potential oil spill in the Gulf of Aden.
Yemeni journalist Mujahed Al-Salali, a critic of the Houthi militia, told The Media Line that the Houthis are resorting to destructive acts in an attempt to gain political leverage. "The Houthis have polluted not only the Red Sea but also large areas within Yemen, where their attacks have caused extensive environmental damage," he said.
Al-Salali added that the Arab coalition repeatedly warned about the Houthis' acquisition of smuggled weapons, including drones and ballistic missiles from Iran, which have been used to threaten navigation in the Red Sea.
“Neither the United Nations nor the United States intervened to prevent the smuggling of weapons to the Houthis, and today they are being used to threaten navigation in the Red Sea,” he asserted.
Al-Salali also said the smuggling of weapons to the Houthis was still occurring, with more weapons arriving daily on Yemeni shores. “The coalition and naval forces present in the Red Sea have not been able to prevent these operations. We will see more attacks in the coming days,” he added.
Meanwhile, Yemeni political activist Moeen Al-Sunaidi, a Houthi loyalist, downplayed the environmental concerns, telling The Media Line, "They are worried about a few fish dying in the sea but ignore the more than 45,000 martyrs in Gaza."
“The Houthi Ansar Allah will continue to strike all Israeli interests, anyone who deals with Israel, and anyone who accepts the injustice inflicted on our brothers in Palestine. As for the environment, it will fix itself,” Al-Sunaidi said.
Egyptian environmental expert Karim Jahan warned that an oil spill in the Red Sea could lead to an ecological disaster, with marine life dying off and cleanup efforts costing millions of dollars. “In the event of an oil spill, the Red Sea will go through a dark period for several months before it is treated, and the entire marine environment in this area will die.”
He added that the Red Sea region was "almost closed" and that many countries would be affected, including Djibouti, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and others.
Despite these dangers, the Houthi militia has vowed to continue its attacks until the conflict in Gaza ends, according to Houthi-affiliated media professional Mohammed bin Rawdan. “The attacks will not stop until the war on Gaza and the killing of Palestinian children and innocents stop,” he told The Media Line.