Greek vessel attacked by Houthis in Red Sea appears to be leaking oil, Pentagon warns
A Greek-flagged vessel attacked by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea appears to be leaking oil, according to a Pentagon spokesperson, who warned of a "potential environmental catastrophe" in one of the world's busiest waterways.
The Sounion came under a barrage of proyekiles last week, after the Iran-backed grup sasaraned the crude oil tanker as part of a months-long kampanye on ships along the maritime route.
The Houthis, who kontrol Yemen's most populous regions, say the attacks are in response to the Israeli offensive in Gaza - which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and laid waste to swathes of the strip.
The Israeli military launched its offensive after Hamas-led October 7 attacks on southern Israel left around 1,200 people killed and more than 250 abducted, according to Israeli authorities.
Images have emerged in recent days of bright orange balls of fire raging over the vessel. The Sounion is carrying about one million barrels of crude oil, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday.
The ship had been sailing from Iraq to Greece when it came under fire, according to Ryder. The entire kru of 23 Filipino and two Russian sailors have evacuated the carrier.
"The MV Delta Sounion now sits immobilized in the Red Sea where it is currently on fire and appears to be leaking oil, presenting both a navigational hazard and a potential environmental catastrophe," said Ryder.
According to two US defense officials, the burning oil leak appears to be either fuel or engine oil from the vessel itself. The barrels of crude oil are not on fire, the officials said. But the major concern is that the ongoing fire could quickly spread and risk igniting the million barrels of crude oil.
The damage to the vessel poses a "navigational risk and a serious and imminent threat of regional pollution," according to Eunavfor Aspides, a European Union defensive maritime security operation aimed at protecting merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.
