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topicnews · August 27, 2024

Pentagon: Tanker SOUNION apparently leaks oil in the Red Sea

Pentagon: Tanker SOUNION apparently leaks oil in the Red Sea

Reuters

WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) – The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion, which was recently attacked by the Houthis in Yemen, is still burning in the Red Sea and now appears to be leaking oil, a Pentagon spokesman said on Tuesday.

The Sounio was hit by several missiles last week off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, said they attacked the Red Sea island, while the Iran-aligned group attacks ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Watch: Houthis blow up huge tanker in Red Sea

Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said a third party had attempted to send two tugboats to assist in the recovery of the Souniobut the Houthis threatened to attack them. He said the tanker was carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil.

“These are simply reckless acts of terrorism that continue to destabilize global and regional trade, endanger the lives of innocent civilian seafarers, and threaten the vibrant maritime ecosystem in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis’ backyard,” Ryder added.

The Sounio was the third ship owned by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be attacked in the Red Sea this month. The attack caused a fire on board, which the crew extinguished, Delta Tankers said in a statement.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.

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