Houthi attacked tanker Sounion appears to be leaking oil

The Greek-flagged Sounion was attacked with a surface craft by Houthi in the Red Sea on 21 August disabling the vessel and force its crew of 23 to be evacuated to a EUNAVFOR ASPIDES warship.

A further attack by Houthi military was recorded on 23 August causing the vessel to catch fire. There were fires reported on at least five locations on the main deck.

Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday US Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder stated: “The MV Delta Sounion now sits immobilised in the Red Sea, where it is currently on fire and appears to be leaking oil, presenting both a navigational hazard and a potential environmental catastrophe.”

The 164,000 dwt tanker has one million barrel crude oil cargo onboard and if the vessel breaks up it could be one the largest tanker oil spills in history.

“US Central Command continues to actively monitor the situation and is coordinating with other maritime partners in the region to determine how best to assist the vessel and mitigate the potential environmental impact,” Major General Ryder said.

However, an attempt to send two tugboats to tow the tanker to safety was met with potential attack from the Houthi.

“We are aware of a third party that attempted to send two tugs to the vessel to help salvage, but they were warned away by the Houthis and threatened with being attacked, which again demonstrates their blatant disregard for not only human life but also for the potential environmental catastrophe that this presents,” he said.

Sounion is owned by the Athens based operator Delta Tankers and was sailing from Iraq to Greece with a crew of two Russian and 23 Filipino seafarers at the time of the attack.

The Houthi have been attacking commercial shipping the Red Sea since November 2023 when they hijacked the car carrier Galaxy Leader owned by Ray Car Carriers and operated by NYK. The vessel and its crew are still being held in Houthi controlled Yemen.

The Houthi say they are attacking commercial shipping in support of the Palestinians in their conflict and claim to be targeting ships either with Israeli links or owned by company’s with vessels calling at Israeli ports.

The majority of attacks have been carried out using missiles and drones, with a change in tactic to using surface vessels in recent months.

While the majority of ships have diverted from the region many commercial vessels do continue to sail through the region that connects to the Suez Canal.

“Although the Houthis have claimed that they're conducting these attacks in support of the Palestinian people, their actions prove to the contrary. In fact, these are simply reckless acts of terrorism which continue to destabilize global and regional commerce, put the lives of innocent civilian mariners at risk, and imperil the vibrant maritime ecosystem in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis own backyard,” Major General Ryder stated.