Houthi Intransigence Changes UN Plan for Safer Tanker

The eroding Safer oil tanker has been moored off the coast of Hodeidah for five years. (Reuters)
The eroding Safer oil tanker has been moored off the coast of Hodeidah for five years. (Reuters)
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Houthi Intransigence Changes UN Plan for Safer Tanker

The eroding Safer oil tanker has been moored off the coast of Hodeidah for five years. (Reuters)
The eroding Safer oil tanker has been moored off the coast of Hodeidah for five years. (Reuters)

The intransigence of the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen is preventing United Nations efforts to assess and repair the eroding Safer oil tanker that has been moored off the coast of Hodeidah for five years, diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Britain’s Ambassador to Yemen Micheal Aron told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthis have yet to grant the UN engineers entry permits. He added that the formation of the team of experts may take months because they hail from different countries from around the world.

He said he was awaiting an agreement between the UN and Houthis, but the militias still had doubts over the organization’s plan.

He did express optimism that the issue will be resolved, saying that Houthis want the repairs to be made, but keep the cargo of 1.1 million barrels of oil on board.

The UN agreed to this demand, but the repairs need new spare parts that its team needs to purchase, Aron added.

The UN plan originally called for carrying out the necessary repairs and immediately unloading the oil to avoid an environmental disaster.

Water has already started to leak into its engine room, prompting UN officials to warn of a major impending environmental disaster in the Red Sea, as well as the potential risk of a massive explosion caused by the buildup of gases in the storage tanks.

For years, the UN has been trying to send inspectors to assess the damage aboard the vessel known as the FSO Safer and look for ways to secure the tanker by unloading the oil and pulling the ship to safety, but they have repeatedly been met with Houthi resistance.



US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
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US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

"The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes."

Among those targeted on Tuesday was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of approximately $12 million dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships defending the critical maritime area.

In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.