Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Greece, is spearheading efforts to prevent a major ecological disaster in the Red Sea. This comes after the Greek-owned oil tanker Sounion was attacked by Houthi militants off the coast of Yemen. The tanker, carrying 150,000 tons of Iraqi crude oil, was set ablaze during the attack, raising fears of a potential oil spill that could devastate the region.
Rescue Plan in Motion
According to Bloomberg, the salvage plan involves transferring the oil from Sounion to another vessel at sea. The reports adds that once the transfer is complete, tugboats will tow the damaged tanker to a safe port, likely Djibouti. Greek, French, and Italian ships from the European Union’s Aspides naval operation will escort the tanker during the operation, with Saudi Arabia expected to oversee the crucial oil transfer.
Diplomatic Coordination
The operation has seen significant coordination between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, European partners, and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Greece has also engaged its back channel to Iran, which supports the Houthi militants, to ensure smooth progress.
Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis confirmed that he discussed the situation with his Saudi counterpart to ensure they handle the operation with the utmost safety. This cooperation underscores the gravity of the situation and the regional implications of a potential oil spill.
Environmental Concerns
Reports have conflicted over whether the Sounion is leaking oil. While a Pentagon spokesman suggested the tanker might be leaking, the EU’s Aspides mission has denied any oil spill. If the worst-case scenario occurs, and the entire cargo spills, it would rank as the fifth-largest oil spill in history, surpassing the 2018 Sanchi spill near China.
Houthi Involvement
The Houthis have agreed to allow the salvage operation to proceed, likely due to the catastrophic environmental consequences a spill would have on Yemen and its neighbors. However, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi claimed, in an unverified statement, that his fighters had destroyed the tanker’s cargo. Despite this, the tanker remains intact, and efforts to prevent a disaster continue.
Regional Impact
The incident has heightened tensions in the Red Sea, where militants have increased attacks on vessels over the past year. Thousands of container ships and oil tankers have since rerouted to avoid the volatile area.
This operation is a critical test of international cooperation in preventing environmental disasters and ensuring maritime security in a region fraught with conflict.
