Oil tanker burning in Red Sea ‘successfully towed to safety’

Vaseline4 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

Oil tanker burning in Red Sea ‘successfully towed to safety’

The European Union’s Operation Aspides naval force has launched an urgent rescue operation to tow the burning oil tanker Sounion to safety in the southern Red Sea in the hope of preventing an environmental disaster.

“Saving 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,” the EU naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, wrote in an X post on Sunday.

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

As of Monday, Aspides said the Greek-flagged vessel Sounion “has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill,” adding that private stakeholders will complete the salvage operation while warships “will continue to monitor the situation”.

Update on the salvage status of MV SOUNION

Under the protection of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES ????????, MV SOUNION was successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spillage. While private stakeholders complete the rescue operation, ASPIDES will continue to monitor the situation.

Completion… pic.twitter.com/FJrk9JGNUg

— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) September 16, 2024

Sounion was hit by missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthis four weeks ago into the southern Red Sea. The crew was evacuated a day later and the ship caught fire, which has been burning ever since. There were concerns about an environmental disaster, given that the tanker was carrying one million barrels of Iraqi crude oil.

Video showing MT Sounion exploding and burning in the Red Sea. The tanker is carrying 150,000 metric tons of oil. A complete release of the cargo would make it one of the worst oil spills in history pic.twitter.com/470pc3OQjj

— Mike Schuler (@MikeSchuler) August 23, 2024

The attack on the Sounion and attacks on other merchant ships in the critical maritime choke point resulted from failed Western missions, such as Biden-Harris’s Operation Prosperity Guardian, that failed to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security in the shipping lane. Since October, Houthi rebels have launched more than 80 attacks on ships in the region.