Safer Oil Tanker Official Underlines Need to Unload Decaying Ship

The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen
The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen
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Safer Oil Tanker Official Underlines Need to Unload Decaying Ship

The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen
The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen

A senior official at the Safer Exploration & Production Operations Company (SEPOC) cast doubts on the ability of international donors and the United Nations to manage the operating expenses of the "Safer" oil tanker should they succeed in restoring the decaying ship.

SEPOC owns the derelict oil tanker that is moored north of Yemen’s main port of Hodeidah.

Explaining that the true challenge lies in operating "Safer" after maintenance is over, the official stressed the need to first unload the oil onboard the rundown ship to avoid an environmental catastrophe.

The Safer oil tanker is laden with some 1.1 million barrels of crude oil and has been stranded with no maintenance since early 2015, soon after the Iran-backed Houthi militias staged their coup in Yemen.

Left to deteriorate, the tanker threatens a grave environmental catastrophe in case of a leak or an explosion taking place.

UK Ambassador to Yemen Michael Aron warned that Houthis continue to reject granting UN experts access to the ship as they are exploiting the tanker’s dire situation to blackmail and pressure the international community.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, the SEPOC official confirmed that the UN and international donors have no plans for operating Safer after concluding its maintenance.

“In the event that maintenance is completed, the tanker needs operations to maintain it, and this requires costs and capabilities. If these capabilities were available to us, we would not have reached this dangerous stage,” the official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had confirmed that his country would play a positive and constructive role in the UN Security Council to reach an appropriate proposal for resolving the conflict over the tanker.

In a written message to the speaker of the Arab Parliament, Meshaal Al-Salami, the Chinese diplomat relayed China’s understanding of the dangers posed by Safer and his willingness to address the issue in the Security Council.

Houthi militias have been holding the tanker hostage since 2015 and not allowing any teams onboard to perform maintenance works.



Hamas Hands Over Four Hostage Bodies to Red Cross as Palestinians Leave Israeli Prison

Among those leaving Israel early Thursday were 445 men, 21 teenagers and one woman who were all arrested after the Hamas attack - AFP
Among those leaving Israel early Thursday were 445 men, 21 teenagers and one woman who were all arrested after the Hamas attack - AFP
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Hamas Hands Over Four Hostage Bodies to Red Cross as Palestinians Leave Israeli Prison

Among those leaving Israel early Thursday were 445 men, 21 teenagers and one woman who were all arrested after the Hamas attack - AFP
Among those leaving Israel early Thursday were 445 men, 21 teenagers and one woman who were all arrested after the Hamas attack - AFP

An Israeli security official told AFP on Thursday that Hamas had handed over four bodies to the Red Cross, while a senior leader from the Palestinian movement said the bodies belonged to Israeli hostages.

"Four bodies transferred to the Red Cross from Hamas," the official said.

"The four bodies were handed over a short while ago and we are waiting for the release of Palestinian prisoners," the Hamas official said, referring to the remains of the hostages.

According to Reuters, a Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of released Palestinian prisoners left Israel’s Ofer prison. Crowds of cheering families, friends and supporters of Palestinian prisoners were gathered in Beitunia jostling for a glimpse of the bus that was on its way.
Israel had delayed the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it called the cruel treatment of hostages during their handover by Hamas. The militant group has called the delay a “serious violation” of the ceasefire and said talks on a second phase aren’t possible until the Palestinians are freed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office had said Wednesday that the release of the bodies would be carried out without a ceremony, as opposed to past Hamas releases with stage-managed events in front of crowds. Israel, along with the Red Cross and UN officials, have called the ceremonies humiliating for the hostages.
Among those leaving Israel early Thursday were hundreds of detainees arrested from Gaza, held on suspicion of militancy after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, without charge for months. They include 445 men, 21 teenagers and one woman who were all arrested after the Hamas attack, according to lists shared by Palestinian officials that did not specify their ages.
Only around 50 Palestinians were being released into the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem in this round. Dozens sentenced to life over deadly attacks against Israelis will be exiled out of the Palestinian territories, taken to Egypt at least temporarily until other countries accept them.
The handover will complete both sides’ obligations under the ceasefire’s first phase, during which Hamas returned 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.