An oil tanker that was set ablaze by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, threatening a massive oil spill in the Red Sea, has been successfully salvaged, averting what could have been one of the region’s most devastating environmental disasters. The Sounion, carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil, was struck and later sabotaged with explosives by the Iranian-backed Houthis. The attack came as part of their ongoing conflict linked to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
For weeks, the tanker burned, creating fears of an oil spill four times the size of the infamous Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989, which caused widespread environmental damage off the coast of Alaska. Salvagers, including a private security firm, Ambrey, worked tirelessly alongside a European naval force to tackle the situation. Over three challenging weeks, they managed to extinguish the fires, patch the vessel, and secure the cargo tanks with inert gas to ensure safety.
The next step was towing the tanker north to the Suez Canal, where the crude oil was safely offloaded. The successful removal of the cargo has been confirmed, marking a critical victory in preventing a potential environmental catastrophe.
The U.S. State Department had issued dire warnings about the consequences of a spill from the Sounion, estimating it could have been four times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster. This successful salvage is a relief to environmentalists and international communities alike, who had been on high alert for weeks.
The collaborative efforts of international forces, salvagers, and security teams have successfully contained the situation, ensuring the Red Sea remains free from an ecological disaster.
