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Salvage operation for oil tanker in Red Sea not safe, EU mission says

EUNAVFOR ASPIDES The Sounion tanker in the Red Sea, with fires burning on its deckEUNAVFOR ASPIDES
The EU's military operation in the region released images of the tanker, which still had fires burning on its deck nearly two weeks after a Houthi attack

The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea says private companies have called off attempts to salvage a burning oil tanker because the situation is unsafe.

The Greek-owned and flagged MV Sounion, carrying about a million barrels of crude, was abandoned by its crew after it was hit by projectiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement on 21 August. Fighters later detonated explosives onboard, sparking several fires.

Last Wednesday, the Houthis said they had agreed to allow the tanker to be towed away to avert an unprecedented environmental disaster.

The EU mission, which was providing security to the tugs involved in the salvage operation, said “alternative solutions" were being explored.

On Monday, the mission reported that fires continued to burn on the tanker’s main deck. “The vessel remains anchored without drifting, and there are no visible signs of an oil spill,” it said.

The United States has warned that a spill from the Sounion could be almost four times as large as the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. That incident saw 2,100km (1,300 miles) of coastline contaminated after a tanker ran aground off Alaska.

The Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November.

They say they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They have claimed - often falsely - that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.

They have not been deterred by the deployment of Western warships to protect merchant vessels or by US and British air strikes on territory they control in north-western Yemen. Israel also bombed Hudaydah’s port in July in retaliation for a deadly drone strike on Tel Aviv.

EUNAVFOR ASPIDES The Sounion tanker in the Red Sea, with fires burning on its deckEUNAVFOR ASPIDES

The Houthis attacked the Sounion two weeks ago with gunfire from small boats, before hitting it with three unidentified projectiles, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said at the time. Its 25 crew members were rescued by a European warship.

The tanker was later attacked again, with footage released by the group last Thursday showing Houthi fighters boarding the ship and detonating at least six bombs simultaneously.

The leader of the Houthis called the attack “brave and bold” in a recent address.

The Houthis have continued to attack oil tankers in the Red Sea in recent days.

On Monday, the US military’s Central Command said the Panama-owned and flagged MV Blue Lagoon I and the Saudi-owned and flagged MV Amjad were hit by two ballistic missiles and a one-way attack drone.

The Amjad is carrying approximately two million barrels of oil – almost twice the amount on the Sounion.

“These reckless acts of terrorism by the Houthis continue to destabilize regional and global commerce, as well as put the lives of civilian mariners and maritime ecosystems at risk,” Central Command said.