A Greek-owned oil tanker, Sounion, is ablaze and drifting in the Red Sea following a series of aggressive attacks, according to reports from British and Greek authorities.
The incident occurred early on Wednesday when gunfire from two small boats struck the vessel approximately 77 nautical miles (143 km) west of the Yemeni port of Hudaydah. Shortly thereafter, the tanker was hit by three unidentified projectiles, igniting a fire onboard and disabling its engines. Fortunately, all 25 crew members reported no injuries.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Greece’s maritime affairs minister has labeled them as a blatant breach of international law.
Recently, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has intensified its assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, particularly since November. The Houthis assert their actions are in solidarity with the Palestinians amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, often claiming their targets are exclusively linked to Israel, the US, or the UK.
Despite the presence of Western naval forces aimed at safeguarding merchant vessels and airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, these assaults continue unabated. Last month, Israel conducted strikes on Hudaydah’s port in retaliation for a drone attack targeting Tel Aviv.
At the time of the attack, the Sounion, measuring 274 meters in length and 50 meters in width, was transporting crude oil from the Iraqi port of Basra. The Greek operator of the vessel, Delta Tankers, stated that the damage sustained was “minor,” and crew members are currently evaluating the situation to determine the next steps for their journey.
In another incident on the same day, the Panama-flagged cargo vessel SW North Wind I reported three explosions in the vicinity while navigating through the Gulf of Aden. The crew was unharmed after the explosions occurred 57 nautical miles south of Aden, with the vessel continuing to its next destination.
This incident follows the tragic sinking of the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship Tutor in June, resulting from a Houthi sea drone attack that claimed one crew member’s life.
