International expert: “Sunion is Safe ” in the Red Sea one of the biggest misleading headline of the decade.
Yemen Monitor/ Marib/ Exclusive:
A maritime expert stated on Sunday that the claim that the Sunion tanker, attacked by the Houthis last August, is now safe is one of the biggest misrepresentations of the decade.
Ian Ralby, a leading maritime and international affairs expert who was directly involved in the efforts to save the Sunion tanker, stated that the oil tanker, which is on fire off the coast of Yemen, is still not safe, and the risk of an oil spill remains very real.
He pointed out that “no government in the region is willing to step in and help prevent the impending disaster in the Red Sea.”
In mid-September, the European Union’s military operation against the Houthis (ASPIDE) stated that the burning oil tanker had been successfully moved.
Ralby said in a social media post: “This vessel is by no means safe!”
The current situation of the Sunion tanker, carrying nearly a million barrels of heavy crude oil that has been burning for several weeks, reveals the reality. “After a tremendous effort led by a private entity, the ship was pulled away from the area immediately adjacent to the Houthis, who tried several times to blow it up.”
He asked: “Does this seem safe”?
Ralby stated, “No port (in the region) has agreed to receive it, no government or international organization has taken responsibility for it, and no one has provided a clear path to remove the oil from the burning ship.”
He added, “Time is running out, and if the oil leaks from the ship, it will be the fifth largest and most significant oil spill in history.”
Ralby criticized the foreign press, stating, “The New York Times and many other outlets are doing a disservice to the world by suggesting that there is no longer a need for action and that the matter is not very urgent.”
Ralby warned: “If this ship spills, the environmental, economic, and humanitarian consequences will be enormous (partly due to the reliance on desalination of seawater in the Red Sea(“.
It is worth noting that on August 21, the “Sunion” tanker, flying the Greek flag, was attacked by the Houthis, leading to a fire on board and disabling its engine. The ship’s crew of 23 Filipinos and Russians was evacuated the day after the attack. Following the evacuation of the crew, the Houthis announced that they had mined and then detonated the oil tanker, causing several fires on board before “allowing” it to be rescued the following month. Smoke has been billowing from the tanker ever since
