EU Navy Starts Towing Stricken Red Sea Oil Tanker Hit by Houthis

The European Union’s naval force said it managed to connect tug boats to a burning oil tanker in the Red Sea, and that the vessel is now being towed away.

“The tug boats have successfully connected to the vessel and the towing of the MV Sounion to a safe location is in progress,” the EU’s force said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.

Houthi militants based in Yemen attacked the Sounion on Aug. 21 as it sailed toward Greece laden with about 1 million barrels of oil from Iraq.

Update on the MV SOUNION salvage status
The salvage of the MV SOUNION is a complex operation and consists of various phases.
The tug boats have successfully connected to the vessel and the towing of the MV SOUNION to a safe location is in progress.
By providing protection to… pic.twitter.com/FX47QOsJLq

— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) September 15, 2024

Last week, the United Nations warned that the burning tanker posed a huge environmental threat if it couldn’t be quickly salvaged.

The EU has previously said there’s no sign of an oil spill from the vessel’s cargo hold. Still, the US has indicated it was leaking, suggesting fuel was coming out of the ship’s tanks.

The Houthis, who are supported by Iran, began attacking merchant ships with drones and missiles in mid-November in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They say they’re acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as the war in Gaza grinds toward the one-year mark, and that they’re targeting Israeli-, US- and UK-linked vessels.

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