Houthis Allow Salvage Crew & Ships To Access Oil Tanker They Set on Fire in The Red Sea

Houthis have allowed rescue ships and tugboats to reach the damaged oil tanker Sounion which they had attacked in the Red Sea last week.

The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker was loaded with 150,000 tonnes or a million barrels of crude oil and has become an environmental hazard. If it leaks, the oil spill could be one of the biggest in history, per shipping officials.

Many nations have called out to the Houthis and requested a temporary truce to allow tugboats and rescue ships to access the tanker to prevent this catastrophe, per Iran’s U.N. mission in New York.

Houthis have consented to this request, considering humanitarian and environmental concerns.

Houthi Spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam informed that there is no truce temporarily but the group agreed to enable the towing of the oil tanker after many international organisations contacted them.

The oil tanker Sounion was attacked by several projectiles off Yemen’s Port City of Hodeidah and it is not confirmed if there is oil leakage from the ship.

Houthis began targeting ships in the Red Sea in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. They have conducted more than 70 attacks and sunk two ships, seized one and killed three seafarers.

source : marineinsight