Salvage complete of tanker at center of oil spill scare after being hit by Houthi rebels in Red Sea

A tanker that had been burning for weeks in the Red Sea has been successfully salvaged, according to a security firm on Friday. The tanker had previously been attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels and risked causing a massive oil spill. The vessel, named "MV Sounion," was carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil and was once in a precarious situation in the shipping lanes. The Houthi rebels had previously attacked and damaged the tanker with explosives as part of their operations during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military stated on Friday that it had again struck what it called Houthi military infrastructure in Yemen, including the Hizzah power station and the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Isa on the west coast. Houthi-controlled media reported that one worker was killed and six others were injured at the port of Ras Isa. This came a day after the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched drones toward Israel, the latest in a series of escalating attacks.

The Houthi rebels have not made any comment regarding the "Sounion" tanker incident. The Houthi rebels have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, for over a decade and have been engaged in a long-running battle with a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's exiled government. It took months of effort for rescuers to tow away the "Sounion," extinguish the fire, and offload the remaining crude oil.

“After more than three weeks of challenges, the fire was extinguished, the cargo holds were patched and inerted, and the vessel was declared safe,” said private security firm Ambrey. Ambrey co-led the rescue operation alongside European naval forces and rescuers. “The vessel was towed to Suez in early October to offload its cargo and this has now been successfully completed.” The US State Department had warned that a spill from the "Sounion" would be four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska.

The Houthi rebels initially attacked the Greek-flagged "Sounion" tanker with small arms, projectiles, and an unmanned boat on August 21. A French destroyer, as part of the EU's "Aspides Operation," rescued the ship's 25 Filipino and Russian crew members and four private security guards, who were taken to nearby Djibouti after abandoning the vessel. The Houthi rebels then released a video showing them placing explosives on the "Sounion" and detonating them in a propaganda video, a common tactic of the group in their previous operations.

Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthi rebels have attacked about 100 merchant ships using missiles and drones. They have seized one vessel, sunk two, and caused the deaths of four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by the US-led Red Sea coalition or have failed to hit their targets, including Western warships. The Houthi rebels claim they are attacking vessels linked to Israel, the US, or the UK to force Israel to end its military operation against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the vessels attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some heading to Iran.

The frequency of Houthi attacks has slowed down in recent weeks, particularly those targeting ships at sea. However, they continue to launch drones and missiles targeting Israel.