Experts have warned that an abandoned oil tanker carrying more than a million barrels of crude oil could pollute “large areas” of the Red Sea and nearby coasts if it breaks up or explodes, which could create a serious “environmental disaster” with long-term effects.
Days after targeting the Greek ship "Sounion" on August 21, the Houthis booby-trapped it, blew it up, and set it on fire while it was carrying one million barrels of crude oil.
According to a Western naval report, the ship remained on fire until Saturday. It now poses a risk of spilling a huge amount of oil, four times the amount of oil that spilled in the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, one of the worst environmental disasters in US history.
Greenpeace warns that any leak or An explosion on board the ship could cause irreparable damage. “Once a leak occurs, it will be almost impossible to contain an oil spill of this size, spreading pollution across vast areas of the sea and coast,” says Julian Jreissati, director of the organization’s Middle East and North Africa program.
He adds, “The consequences are long.” The impact on marine biodiversity could be devastating, as oil residues may remain in the environment for years or even decades.”
Since last November, the Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones. They say that the ships they are targeting are linked to or headed to Israel, in what they consider to be support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a war against Hamas after the latter attacked its territory on October 7.