Houthis Board Massive Oil-Laden Tanker and Set Explosives, Chant ‘Death to America’ as Ship Detonates
On Thursday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels released a video showing their fighters attacking the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which had been abandoned after repeated assaults. The footage depicted the rebels chanting slogans while detonating explosives on the vessel, raising concerns about a potential oil spill in the Red Sea. This incident marks a significant escalation in the Houthis’ campaign to disrupt maritime activities linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has already disrupted aid shipments to Yemen and Sudan.
The Sounion, carrying approximately 1 million barrels of oil, was first targeted on August 21st. A French destroyer had previously rescued the ship’s crew before it was abandoned. The video confirms earlier reports of Houthi operations on the vessel. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi suggested the attack demonstrated U.S. misrepresentation of Yemeni military capabilities.
International agencies, including the U.S. and EU, are concerned about the environmental impact of a potential oil spill, which could devastate local wildlife. While the European Union’s naval forces are preparing to address any environmental crisis, U.N. representatives have noted possible cooperation from the Houthis for salvage operations. The rebels have escalated attacks on maritime vessels, claiming to target those associated with Israel or its allies while impacting many unrelated ships.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels released footage on Thursday showing their fighters boarded and placed explosives on a Greek-flagged tanker, setting off blasts that put the Red Sea at risk of a major oil spill. The vessel was abandoned earlier, after the Houthis repeatedly attacked it.
In the video, the Iran-backed Houthis chant their motto as the bombs detonated aboard the oil tanker Sounion: “God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam.”
The blasts capped the most-serious attack in weeks by the Houthis in their campaign disrupting the $1 trillion in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as well as halting some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen.
The Sounion carried some 1 million barrels of oil when the Houthis initially attacked it on August 21st with small arms fire, projectiles and a drone boat. A French destroyer operating as part of the European Union’s Operation Aspides rescued the Sounion’s crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, after they abandoned the vessel and took them to nearby Djibouti.
The footage released Thursday shows masked Houthi fighters carrying Kalashnikov-style rifles boarding the Sounion after it was abandoned. The bridge appeared ransacked. Fighters then rigged explosives over hatches on its deck leading to the oil tankers below. At least six simultaneous blasts could be seen in the footage.
The footage, as well as comments by the Houthi’s mysterious leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, confirmed an earlier analysis by The Associated Press that the Houthis boarded and planted explosives on the Sounion. The Houthi-controlled SABA news agency described al-Houthi as saying the Sounion attack shows America “is lying in its claims regarding any deterrence of Yemeni operations supporting Palestine.”
“The effectiveness of our operations and their control of the situation is acknowledged by the enemies,” al-Houthi said.
Western countries and the United Nations have warned any oil spill from the Sounion could devastate the coral reefs and wildlife that call the Red Sea home. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the new Houthi footage. However, the EU’s naval force in the region says it has yet to see any oil spill from the Sounion.
Operation Aspides “is preparing to facilitate any courses of action, in coordination with European authorities and neighboring countries, to avert a catastrophic environmental crisis,” the EU mission said. “Together, we can protect the environment and maintain stability in the region.”
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric commended the efforts by the international community and the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, “to secure the immediate access to the vessel and avert an environmental catastrophe.” The Houthis have agreed to allow the operation to proceed safely, he said.
Dujarric did not offer any indication when it might start, but added that the reports that “the salvage operations for the tanker can proceed with tugboats and rescue ships to access the incident area” are encouraging.
On Wednesday, the Houthis suggested they may allow the Sounion to be salvaged, though the rebels already once blocked crews trying to reach the abandoned vessel, the U.S. military said.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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