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Burning Tanker in Red Sea Threatens Disaster Worse Than Exxon Valdez

Sounion explosion
Three simultaneous detonations occur at evenly-spaced locations on Sounion's main deck (Courtesy Houthi Military Media)

Published Aug 25, 2024 3:01 PM by The Maritime Executive

Two days after Houthi forces blew up the cargo tanks of the Greek-owned Suezmax Sounion, the flames emerging from the vessel's deck were still visible from space, based on imagery from the EU's Sentinel satellite system. Western governments have warned that the terrorist group's action could cause a devastating oil spill in the Red Sea, up to four times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster - with serious consequences for the environment and for subsistence fisheries. 

"While the crew has been evacuated, the Houthis appear determined to sink the ship and its cargo into the sea," said the U.S. State Department in a statement. "Through these attacks, the Houthis have made clear they are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems that Yemenis and other communities in the region rely on for their livelihoods, just as they have undermined the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the region through their reckless attacks."

The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, EUNAVFOR Aspides, echoed these concerns. 

"This situation underlines that these kinds of attacks pose not only a threat against the freedom of navigation but also to the lives of seafarers, the environment, and subsequently the life of all citizens living in that region," the EU mission said in a statement. 

Before the blast, multiple Houthi observers aimed video cameras at the vessel from different angles (below). Based on their footage, the tanker was wracked by three simultaneous explosions, and three fireballs erupted from the main deck level upwards. The pattern suggests that after they disabled the Sounion, the Houthi attackers waited for Western defenders to leave, then boarded the tanker, placed explosive charges on deck, and recorded the ensuing detonation for public release - as they have done previously. 

A spokesman for Houthi forces did not address potential environmental harm from the attack, and said only that the vessel was targeted because of the shipowner's alleged decision to continue sending vessels to Israeli seaports. The Houthi militia has declared a naval blockade on Israeli-affiliated shipping because of the ongoing military operation in Gaza, though it has previously attacked vessels without any clear Israeli nexus - including vessels linked to Houthi allies.