How an EU-led operation to salvage a burning Red Sea oil tanker hopes to prevent a major environmental disaster

DUBAI: An EU-led operation to salvage a stricken oil tanker, which has been burning in the Red Sea for almost a month after coming under attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia, reached an important milestone on Monday, potentially staving off one of the worst ecological disasters in history.

The Greek-flagged oil tanker MV Sounion was attacked by Houthi militants on Aug. 21 off the coast of Hodeidah. Carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, the tanker was left severely damaged and at risk of spilling its cargo into one of the world’s most fragile marine ecosystems.

On Sept. 14, the salvage mission, led by the EU’s Operation Aspides, finally got underway after repeated delays. On Monday, it issued a statement via the social media platform X announcing the ship had been moved.

The Sounion “has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill,” the EU mission said. “While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, Aspides will continue to monitor the situation.”

Until the vessel has been safely docked and unloaded, however, the environmental and commercial threat posed by a major spill remains.

The initial attack on the Sounion involved missiles launched by Houthi militants, which struck the vessel as it navigated through one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Soon after, the militants returned and detonated explosive charges, setting parts of the ship ablaze.

The attack is part of a broader Houthi campaign to disrupt global shipping as a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels in the Red Sea since October 2023, killing at least four sailors.

In response to the attacks, the US and UK have mounted strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. However, these strikes have failed to deter the militia’s attacks on shipping.

The Sounion attack presents a multifaceted crisis. The immediate concern is the possibility of a catastrophic oil spill, potentially four times worse than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, which spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil and devastated the local ecosystem.

The Red Sea’s marine life, including its renowned coral reefs, is especially vulnerable, and a spill could have lasting consequences, affecting species and habitats for many decades to come.

Julien Jreissati, Greenpeace’s Middle East and North Africa program director, warned that the Red Sea’s unique coral species, some of the most resilient to climate change, are under threat.

Should a spill occur, its “magnitude could be nearly impossible to contain, spreading contamination across vast areas of seawater and coastlines,” Jreissati said in a statement.

The long-term impact on marine life would be “devastating, with oil residues potentially persisting in the environment for years or even decades,” he said, adding that the “potential for a major environmental disaster is significant as the vessel could break apart at any time.”

The economic and humanitarian impact would be equally severe. The Red Sea is not only home to diverse marine life but is also a vital global shipping route, connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa. A major oil spill would disrupt this passage, affecting global trade.

Furthermore, a spill could contaminate desalination plants that supply fresh water to millions in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Eritrea.

The Red Sea’s closed nature, bordered by the Suez Canal to the north and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait to the south, means that any contamination could persist in the water for an extended period.

Efforts to salvage the Sounion have been fraught with complications. The EU’s Aspides naval mission, established in February to protect merchant vessels in the region, is leading the rescue operation, working closely with private sector actors.

Early in the operation, the crew of 23 Filipinos and two Russians, along with four private security personnel, were rescued by a French vessel and taken to Djibouti.

Aspides initially attempted to tow the vessel earlier in September, but the mission was paused due to unsafe conditions and concerns about further damage to the tanker. It was not until mid-September that salvage crews were able to secure a connection to tow the vessel.

The towing process has been dangerous. The tanker, still smoldering and billowing smoke, had to be moved at a “painfully slow” pace to a safe location in the northern Red Sea.

Greek news agencies reported over the weekend that the rescue vessel, Aigaion Pelagos, was towing the Sounion, escorted by the rescue tug Panormitis and several frigates equipped with firefighting and oil spill recovery capabilities.

According to the Greek state news agency ANA-MPA, “three frigates, helicopters and a special forces unit” were involved in the salvage operation.

“Despite challenging conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 400 degrees Celsius due to the fire, the specialized salvage team successfully secured the tanker to the Aigaion Pelagos,” ANA-MPA reported.

The destination of the vessel remains undisclosed, and both ships’ radars have been turned off for safety reasons.

The complexity of the operation reflects the broader challenges faced by the international community in addressing the fallout from Houthi attacks.

While the US Navy has offered assistance, the operation is currently being managed by private entities, with no direct involvement from American forces.

Sabrina Singh, the deputy spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, confirmed earlier this month that the US Navy is “standing by” but has not been called into action.

The Houthi militia has justified its attacks on international shipping as part of its resistance to Israeli actions in Gaza, claiming that the Sounion belongs to a company with alleged ties to Israel.

However, the militia has also attacked multiple vessels with no ties to Israel.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree vowed further attacks as the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack that triggered the Gaza war approaches, signaling that the threat to Red Sea shipping is far from over.

The Sounion crisis echoes the near catastrophe of the FSO Safer, another oil tanker that posed an enormous environmental threat in the Red Sea. The decaying vessel was anchored off the coast of Yemen for years with more than 1 million barrels of oil on board.

After months of international negotiations and funding efforts, the Safer was finally unloaded in 2023 under a UN-led effort, narrowly avoiding what could have been one of the worst oil spills in history.

The Safer’s precarious condition and the drawn-out efforts to secure it illustrated the difficulty of managing such crises in conflict zones.