Aug. 28 (UPI) — A Greek-owned oil tanker that was attacked last week by Houthi militants in the Red Sea appears to be leaking oil, the Pentagon said as it expressed worry over the navigational and potential environmental hazards posed by the immobilized vessel.
The MV Delta Sounion, a Greek-flagged and -owned ship, came under attack by the Iran proxy militia early Aug. 21 as it was transporting some 1 million barrels of crude oil from Iraq to Greece, and now has been abandoned at sea.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters on Tuesday that the ship remains immobile and on fire. Third-party attempts to salvage the vessel have been thwarted by Houthi threats of attack, he said.
“These are simply reckless acts of terrorism, which continue to destabilize global and regional commerce, put the lives of innocent civilian mariners at risk and imperil the vibrant maritime ecosystem in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis’ own backyard,” he said.
Ryder said U.S. Central Command continues to monitor the situation and is coordinating with partners in the region to determine how to assist the vessel and mitigate potential environmental impact.
Embolden by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Houthis of Yemen have been attempting to enforce a maritime blockage of the Red Sea since mid-November by attacking both military and commercial ships transiting the region.
They claim the military action is in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza, where Israel has been waging war since Hamas, another Iran-backed militia, attacked it on Oct. 7.
Amid its blockade, the Houthis have seized one vessel, sunk two others and killed at least three sailors.
According to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the Sounion was approached by two small Houthi crafts that had a combined 15 people onboard. After attempting to hail the vessel, a brief exchange of gunfire occurred.
About two hours later, the ship reported it had been hit by two unknown projectiles followed by a third, resulting in the ignition of a fire and the lost of engine power.
The vessel was then anchored and its crew of two Russian and 23 Filipino sailors was evacuated by the European Union’s military operation in the area.
The Eunavfor Aspides said earlier this week that the ship has been on fire since at least Friday.
It reported that at least five fires were burning on the vessel around the hatches of its oil tanks though no signs of an oil spill had then been detected.