EU navy begins towing Red Sea oil tanker hit by Houthis

The European Union’s naval force said it had managed to connect tugboats to an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea and that the ship was now being towed.

“The tugboats have successfully connected to the vessel and the towing of the MV Sounion to a safe location is underway,” the EU force said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.

Yemen-based Houthi militants attacked the Sounion on August 21 as it was sailing to Greece loaded with about 1 million barrels of oil from Iraq.

Update on the salvage status of MV SOUNION
Salvaging the MV SOUNION is a complex operation and consists of different phases.
The tugs have successfully connected to the vessel and the towing of MV SOUNION to a safe location is underway.
Providing protection for… pic.twitter.com/FX47QOsJLq

— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) September 15, 2024

Last week, the United Nations warned that the burning tanker posed a huge threat to the environment if it could not be saved quickly.

The EU previously said there was no sign of oil leaking from the ship’s cargo hold. However, the US indicated that it was leaking, suggesting fuel was leaking from the ship’s tanks.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, began attacking merchant ships with drones and missiles in mid-November in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as the war in Gaza nears a year and are targeting Israeli, US and British ships.

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