Rescue Operation for Greek Oil Tanker in Red Sea Begins; European Union: No Leakage Observed Yet

The rescue operation for the Greek oil tanker 'Sounion', which caught fire due to attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen in the Red Sea, has begun. The European Union's naval force operating in the Red Sea announced again on Thursday that no oil leakage has been observed so far. The EU has committed to taking all necessary actions in coordination with European officials and neighboring countries to prevent an environmental crisis and rescue the Sounion. On Thursday, September 8, the Houthis released images showing their fighters exploding parts of an abandoned Greek oil tanker in the Red Sea with bombs. According to the Associated Press, this action by the Iran-backed group caused several explosions and fires, putting the ship at risk of oil leakage and an environmental disaster. Reports indicate that the barrels of crude oil on board the ship have remained intact, but the tanker has leaked some oil from the explosion site, and several fires continue to burn. The 900-foot tanker, carrying approximately 1 million barrels of oil, has been under multiple attacks by Houthi militants since August 23. Despite a temporary halt in hostilities, the threat of attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on commercial vessels in the region remains significant. The Houthis, who have increased their attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden under the pretext of supporting Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas conflict, have stated that they will allow rescue crews to transfer the Sounion to a safe location. The U.S. Department of Defense has warned that the Greek tanker continues to burn in the Red Sea and is polluting the sea, raising alarms about the potential for an environmental disaster due to the ongoing destructive actions of the Houthis. The Pentagon stated that the Houthi rebels have created a 'catastrophic threat' to the environment in Yemen's 'backyard.'