The European mission to protect navigation in the Red Sea, known as Aspides, has announced that its forces are on high alert to safeguard the vessels involved in the rescue operation for the Greek oil tanker Sounion, which has been ablaze since Aug. 23 due to attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis.
In a statement issued on Friday, the European mission, which began operations in the Red Sea in mid-February, reported that the Sounion remains on fire following the attack but is currently anchored and not drifting. There are no indications of oil leakage from the main cargo hold, it added.
Despite a failed rescue attempt about two weeks ago, the statement highlighted the importance of close cooperation between public and private organizations to avert an environmental disaster.
The statement stressed that Aspides is prepared to facilitate a new rescue operation in the coming days by protecting commercially chartered vessels that will tow the tanker to a safe location.
The Houthi militias, backed by Iran, launched a series of attacks on the tanker on Aug. 21, which led to engine failure and the vessel running aground in the Red Sea between Yemen and Eritrea.
A French frigate from the European mission then evacuated the 29-member crew to Djibouti, according to Djiboutian authorities. The militias subsequently boarded the tanker, which holds one million barrels of crude oil, rigged it with explosives, and detonated them, causing fires in at least five locations.
As concerns grow over a potential major environmental disaster if the Sounion explodes or sinks in the Red Sea, the Houthi group has agreed to a new rescue attempt following approval from Iran, based on European demands. Since then, the rescue company has been unable to carry out the mission, and discussions are now focused on a new attempt to tow the tanker to safety.
Maritime sources told Reuters that experts will resume the risky rescue operation this week. The companies initially involved in towing the 274.2-meter-long tanker had halted the process, deeming it unsafe. Officials told Reuters that the towing operation will be highly sensitive due to the tanker being fully loaded, and any spill could be the largest of its kind in recorded history, potentially causing an environmental catastrophe in a highly dangerous area.
