Salvage Complete of Tanker at Center of Oil Spill Scare After Being Hit by Houthi Rebels in the Red Sea

A Greek-flagged oil tanker that had been on the verge of causing a massive environmental disaster in the Red Sea has been successfully salvaged, according to a security firm.

The MV Sounion Suezmax tanker, carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil, had been attacked and sabotaged by Yemen's Houthi rebels as part of their campaign during the recent Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The tanker had been burning for weeks in the Red Sea, threatening to spill its massive cargo and cause an environmental catastrophe four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

After months of intense salvage efforts, the Sounion has now been towed away, with the remaining crude oil safely offloaded. "Over three challenging weeks, the fires were extinguished, cargo tanks patched and pressurized with inert gas, and the vessel declared safe," said private security firm Ambrey, which led the response alongside a European naval force and salvage teams.

The Houthis initially attacked the Sounion on August 21, using small arms, projectiles, and a drone boat. The crew of 25 Filipino and Russian sailors, as well as four private security personnel, were rescued by a French destroyer and taken to Djibouti. The Houthis later released footage showing they had planted explosives on the tanker and ignited them.

The Houthis have targeted around 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, seizing one vessel and sinking two others. They claim to be targeting ships linked to Israel, the US, or the UK, but many of the attacked vessels have had little to no connection to the conflict.

While the tempo of Houthi attacks on ships has slowed in recent weeks, the rebels have continued to launch drones and missiles targeting Israel. The successful salvage of the Sounion tanker has averted a potentially devastating environmental disaster in the Red Sea.