The situation aboard the Greek-owned tanker Sounion in the Red Sea appears stable with Iran saying its proxy, the Houthi militants, agreed to permit a salvage crew to reach the tanker days after they set off explosions that started the fires. This comes as both the U.S. and EU said they were monitoring the vessel without any declared plan of action. The various organizations are contradicting themselves if the vessel is leaking oil or if it is drifting.
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said this afternoon, August 28, that several countries have reached out to the Houthis regarding the imminent danger after the repeated attacks and now the out of control fires on the laden tanker. Reuters is quoting Iran reporting that the Houthis have agreed to permit a salvage attempt of the tanker which was also confirmed by a Houthi spokesperson. Many officials have warned that the tanker which has more than 900,000 barrels of crude aboard has the potential to be one of the worst maritime and environmental disasters.
The latest pictures and reports came from EUNAVFOR Aspides which on Wednesday reported the fires are continuing unabated, but they contend the tanker is not leaking oil. They also reported the vessel is still at anchor in international waters while U.S. officials and UK Maritime Trade Operations have both said they believe the Sounion is drifting. A spokesperson for the U.S. military said yesterday they believe the vessel was leaking.
Update on M/V SOUNION:
— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) August 28, 2024
The M/V SOUNION has been on fire since August 23rd.
EUNAVFOR ASPIDES ???????? operating assets in the area have reported that there are fires detected in several locations on the main deck of the vessel. There’s no oil spill, and the ship is still anchored and… pic.twitter.com/urJIZ0Y5AW
Officials have also avoided reporters’ questions about the level of protection being provided to the tanker. The U.S. spokesperson deferred saying the focus was on the current situation while EUNAVFOR Aspides in an earlier statement asserted the tanker had not requested assistance until August 23 when the captain asked for aid to abandon the ship.
“To avert a catastrophic environmental crisis, EU Naval Forces Aspides, in coordination with European authorities, is assessing the situation and stands ready to facilitate any courses of action,” Aspides said in its official statement. Unconfirmed reports are suggesting that the EU is considering attempting to tow the tanker, but it is unclear where they would take it due to the level of danger.
A spokesperson for EUNAVFOR asked by the media said that salvage of the tanker is officially the responsibility of the vessel’s owners and operators. Delta Tankers of Greece initially was reported to be arranging a salvage attempt shortly after the vessel was disabled by attacks last week, but on Tuesday a spokesperson for the U.S. Pentagon said they were aware that the Houthis threatened two private tugs that were going to attempt a salvage effort. Pictures also show that the bridge of the tanker has been destroyed likely in an effort to prevent salvage.
“This is yet another unacceptable attack on international shipping, putting the lives of innocent seafarers at risk,” said Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in a statement issued today. “The risk of an oil spill, posing an extremely serious environmental hazard, remains high and there is widespread concern about the damage such a spill would cause within the region.”
The IMO reports it is “in communication with national, regional, and UN entities, as well as other stakeholders regarding the ongoing incident.” The IMO says it is ready to offer support with any technical assistance to address the ongoing safety, security, and environmental challenges posed by the stricken vessel.
During the lead-up to the salvage operation to remove the oil stored on the FSO Safer in Yemen, the IMO had called for oil spill response equipment. It asked for donations saying the equipment would be staged in Yemen as a precaution in case there was a spill while the transfer was ongoing from the Safer. It is unclear what the status is of this equipment.
