Fire persists on Greek tanker hit by Yemeni forces , sparking environmental warnings

The fire on the Greek-flagged ship Sounion has been burning since August 23, after a Houthi attack, the EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides, known as EMASoH, reported on Monday.

“So far there are no obvious signs of an oil spill,” EMASoH posted on X.

“The ship remains anchored at the same point in international waters,” it affirmed, “All vessels in the area must exercise extreme caution, as the MV SOUNION is both a navigational and an imminent environmental hazard.”

Environmental experts warned that “an oil spill could severely damage marine ecosystems and biodiversity, impact Yemeni fishermen’s livelihoods, and disrupt maritime trade due to the strategic importance of the Bab al-Mandab Strait,” according to Erem News.

In this context, Abdul Salam Al-Jaabi, Deputy Director of the General Authority for Environmental Protection, indicated that “an oil spill from Sounion could lead to severe environmental consequences.”

On Thursday, the Yemeni Ansarallah (Houthis) targeted the ship which was transporting approximately 150,000 tons of crude oil, off the coast of Al-Hudaydah, supporting their campaign against Israeli commercial vessels in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under Israeli attack since October 7, resulting in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, predominantly women and children.

“The operations of the Yemeni armed forces will not cease until the aggression is stopped and the siege on our brothers in Gaza is lifted,” the Houthis said.

The Houthis have been launching frequent drone and missile attacks on international commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November 2023.

In response to these attacks, the US and the UK have targeted Houthi assets.

The Houthi decision impacts the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a 20-kilometer-wide passage that serves as the gateway to the Red Sea, through which approximately 15% of global shipping traffic transits to and from the Suez Canal.