Pentagon warns of 'potential environmental disaster' in the Red Sea

The Pentagon warned on Tuesday of a potential environmental catastrophe in the Red Sea after an oil tanker set ablaze by Yemeni Houthi rebels, the Sounion, appears to be leaking crude oil. The Sounion, flagged under Greece and loaded with a million barrels of crude oil, was hit by rockets fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis last week. A large-scale oil spill would be the first serious environmental damage as a result of the Houthi-led campaign against international shipping in the Red Sea since November. The Islamist group from Yemen claims to act in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s war response to the deadly attack by Hamas on the Jewish state on October 7. Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder stated at a press conference on Tuesday that the 274-meter-long Sounion in the Red Sea is 'incapable of maneuvering.' 'The vessel is currently on fire and appears to be leaking oil, posing both a navigation hazard and a potential environmental catastrophe,' he said. The owners of the ship, the Greek company Delta Tankers, announced last week that they intended to salvage the Sounion and its 150,000 tons of crude oil. Ryder reported that two tugboats had attempted to salvage the Sounion, but the Houthis had warned the ships' crews and threatened an attack. 'This demonstrates their blatant disregard not only for human life but also for the potential environmental catastrophe this represents,' Ryder added. The apparent oil leak occurred after the Houthis released a video on Friday showing a large explosion on the Sounion, claiming it was caused by the group's fighters. The tanker was damaged by a series of Houthi attacks last Wednesday, 77 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. An EU Naval Force vessel rescued the 29 crew members of the Sounion the following day. The operation reported on Monday that after the explosion on Friday, 'at least' five fires were visible on the Sounion, but there were 'no apparent signs' of an oil slick. The Houthis have previously sunk two ships – the Rubymar, attacked in February, and the Tutor, attacked in June – killing four sailors. However, no prior incident threatened environmental damage on the scale that would occur if the Sounion were to break apart. The Houthis claim to target ships with connections to Israel, the USA, and the UK, as well as those whose owners use Israeli ports. Many of the targeted ships, however, have no clear connections to these three countries. An agency representing Delta Tankers did not immediately respond to a request for the status of the Sounion salvage operation.