Yemen Monitor/Aden/Agencies:
The European Union Naval Force in the Red Sea announced on Thursday that it had evacuated the crew of a Greek-flagged tanker a day after it was damaged in an attack off the coast of Yemen, warning that the vessel now poses an “environmental threat”.
On Wednesday, three projectiles hit the tanker “SOUNION” off the coast of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah, causing a fire on board and a loss of engine power, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The European mission “ASPIDES” wrote on X that “at the Captain’s request, the mission deployed a ship to evacuate the crew,” noting that “all those on board the MV Sounion were transferred to Djibouti, the nearest safe port”.
According to the Greek port authority, the ship is owned by the Greek shipping company “Delta Tankers” and was carrying a crew of 25 persons, 23 Filipinos and two Russians. It had sailed from Iraq and was heading to a port near Athens.
Last February, the EU launched a military operation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden called “ASPIDES,” aimed at combating the growing security threats in the Red Sea, promoting freedom of navigation, and supporting regional stability. This was in response to repeated Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, disrupting trade and raising commodity prices.
Since the end of 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 waging a brutal attack on Gaza Strip. However, the Yemeni government and experts say that the Houthis’ goals are domestic, aimed at escaping internal crises and improving their image in the region.
In response, the US and Britain have been launching airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthi militants since January 11. As a result, the Houthis announced an expansion of their operations to include American and British ships.
Since November to August, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has recorded more than 200 attacks on US commercial or military ships off the coast of Yemen, including nearly 120 attacks since the start of US airstrikes on the Yemeni mainland.
