Yemen Monitor/ Washington:
A Pentagon spokesperson said on Tuesday that the Greek-flagged crude oil tanker, the Sounion, recently attacked by Yemeni Houthis, is still burning in the Red Sea and now appears to be leaking oil.
The Sounion was targeted last week with multiple projectiles off the Yemeni coastal city of Hodeidah.
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder said a third party attempted to send two vessels to assist in saving the Sounion, but the Houthis threatened to attack them ,adding that the tanker was carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil .
Ryder said: “This is simply reckless terrorist behavior that continues to destabilize global and regional commerce, endanger the lives of innocent civilian mariners, and put the vibrant marine ecosystem of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden at risk, even though it is the Houthis’ backyard.”
He added that the U.S. military is working with other partners in the region to determine how to assist the vessel and mitigate the potential environmental impact.
Since late last year, the Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and more recently have expanded their operations to the Indian Ocean. They have said that they are targeting ships linked to Israel, which is launching a brutal attack on Gaza Strip. However, the Yemeni government and experts say that the Houthis’ goals are domestic, aimed at escaping domestic crises and improving their image in the region.
In response, the US and Britain have been conducting airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi militants since January 11. As a result, the Houthis announced an expansion of their operations to include US and British ships.
From November to August, the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) recorded more than 220 attacks on U.S. commercial or military vessels off the coast of Yemen, including nearly 120 attacks since the start of U.S. airstrikes on the Yemeni mainland.
