Risk of 1 million barrels of oil spill after Houthi attack on Sounion ship

On August 25, the US warned of the risk of an environmental disaster in the Red Sea, after the Houthis attacked the Greek-owned oil tanker Sounion off the coast of Yemen.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the Houthis' continued attacks risked spilling 1 million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

Although the sailors were evacuated, the Houthis appeared to want to sink the Sounion and its cargo, the spokesman said.

The Sounion oil tanker was attacked by Houthi forces in Yemen while sailing through the Red Sea. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had detected three fires on board. Aspides - the European Union (EU) naval mission - rescued 23 Filipino and two Russian sailors on the ship.

According to Mr. Miller, the recent expansion of Houthi attacks has clearly demonstrated the group's intention to destroy the fishing industry and ecosystem in the area, which is the source of livelihood for Yemenis and other communities.

The US called on the Houthis to immediately stop their attacks and urged countries to join hands to prevent environmental disasters.

Since November last year, the Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on “Israeli-linked” vessels and boats in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The US-UK coalition has responded with airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-January this year, to prevent disruptions to international shipping routes. This has led the Houthis to expand their targeting to include US and UK commercial and military vessels.

Some notable attacks include the Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated Rubymar, which was attacked by the Houthis in March and became the first ship sunk by the Houthis during the conflict. The Rubymar sank into the Red Sea carrying 21,000 tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer.

In June, Houthi attacks also caused the sinking of a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship, killing and injuring several sailors on board.