It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Disaster averted in Red Sea as burning tanker saved
David Gritten BBC News
The EU naval mission said it provided protection for the salvage operation
A burning oil tanker that was attacked by Yemen’s Houthi movement has been towed to a safe area in the Red Sea without any spill, an EU naval mission says.
The Greek-owned and flagged MV Sounion, carrying about a million barrels of crude, was abandoned by its crew after being hit by missiles on 21 August. Houthi fighters later detonated explosives on board, sparking several fires.
A photo released on Monday night showed three vessels belonging to what the EU mission described as “private stakeholders” carrying out the salvage operation, protected by a warship.
The Sounion’s destination was not given, but Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered to help the salvagers offload its oil.
“The completion of this phase of the salvage operation is the result of a comprehensive approach and close co-operation between all stakeholders committed to prevent an environmental disaster affecting the whole region,” the EU’s Operation Aspides said on X.
A potential spill from the Sounion could be almost four times larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, which saw 2,100km (1,300 miles) of coastline contaminated after a tanker ran aground off Alaska, according to the US.
The Iran-backed Houthis said at the end of August that they had agreed to allow the Sounion to be towed away from Yemen after being contacted by “several international parties”.
They also stressed that the attack on the tanker showed their “seriousness in targeting any ship that violates the Yemeni embargo”.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, sinking two vessels, seizing another and causing the deaths of at least four crew members.
They say they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They have claimed - often falsely - that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
They have not been deterred by the deployment of Western warships to protect merchant vessels, nor by US and British air strikes on territory they control in north-western Yemen.
Israel also bombed Yemen in retaliation for a deadly drone strike on Tel Aviv, and it has vowed to make the Houthis pay a “heavy price” for a missile attack on Sunday.
In a separate development on Monday, the Houthis said they had shot down a US-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen’s Dhamar province and released videos which they said showed the charred wreckage on the ground. The US military said it was aware of the claim.
Oil tanker ‘Sounion’ 'poses environmental risk' after Red Sea attack
August 22, 2024 An abandoned oil tanker, at risk of sinking due to poor maintenance, is anchored off Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on July 21, 2021
[SALEH OBAIDI/AFP via Getty Images]
A Greek-flagged oil tanker carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude that was evacuated by its crew after being attacked in the Red Sea now poses an environmental hazard, the EU’s Red Sea naval mission “Aspides” said on Thursday, Reuters reports.
“Sounion” was targeted on Wednesday by multiple projectiles off Yemen’s port city of Hudaydah, where the Houthis have been attacking ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Palestine in Gaza.
“Carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, the MV SOUNION now represents a navigational and environmental hazard,” “Aspides” said in a post on social media platform X.
The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, have yet to claim responsibility for the attack.
The “Sounion” was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be attacked in the Red Sea this month. The attack caused a fire onboard, which was extinguished by the crew, Delta Tankers said in a statement.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported on Wednesday that the attack led to the loss of engine power. The vessel was now anchored between Yemen and Eritrea, a maritime security source told Reuters on Thursday.
Delta Tankers said it is working on a plan to move “Sounion” to a safer destination for further checks and repairs.
The EU Red Sea naval mission said it responded to a request from the captain of the “Sounion” and dispatched a ship to rescue the crew to Djibouti, the “Aspides” said.
“While approaching the area, the EUNAVFOR ASPIDES ship destroyed an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) that posed an imminent threat to the ship and the crew,” “Aspides” added.
The Greek shipping ministry said the vessel was sailing from Iraq to Agioi Theodoroi in Greece with a crew of two Russians and 23 Filipinos.
In dozens of attacks in the Red Sea since November, the Houthis have sunk two vessels and seized another, killed at least three sailors and upended global trade by forcing ship owners to avoid the popular Suez Canal trade shortcut.
In another incident on Thursday, a vessel reported an explosion close to it that caused minor damage after an encounter with an uncrewed vessel, 57 nautical miles south of Yemen’s port of Aden, the UKMTO said. The vessel and its crew were safe and it was proceeding to its next port of call.
Greek Shipping Minister, Christos Stylianidis, condemned on Wednesday the attack on the “Sounion”, saying it was “a flagrant violation of international law and a serious threat to the safety of international shipping”
Greek-flagged oil tanker drifting ablaze in Red Sea after apparent Houthi attack
Sounion’s 25 sailors rescued after worst assault by Yemeni group since Israel struck Hodeida in July in response to Tel Aviv drone; 2nd ship attacked in Aden Gulf, no damage
Today, Armed Yemenis lift placards and flags during a rally in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza, August 16, 2024. (Abdallah Adel / AFP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Greek-flagged oil tanker traveling through the Red Sea came under repeated attack Wednesday, leaving the vessel “not under command” and drifting ablaze after an assault suspected to have been carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the British military said.
The crew of the Sounion, made up of two Russians and 23 Filipinos, abandoned the vessel and was rescued by the European Unions’s Red Sea naval mission “Aspides,” an official in the mission told Reuters on Thursday.
The attack, the most serious in the Red Sea in weeks, comes during a monthslong campaign by Houthis targeting ships over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip that has disrupted a trade route through which $1 trillion in cargo typically passes each year.
In the attack, men on small boats first opened fire with small arms about 140 kilometers (90 miles) west of the rebel-held Yemeni port city of Hodeida, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.
Four projectiles also hit the ship, it added. It wasn’t immediately clear if that meant drones or missiles.
“The vessel reports being not under command,” the UKMTO said, likely meaning it lost all power. “No casualties reported.” Later, the UKMTO warned that the ship was drifting while on fire in the Red Sea.
The Greek shipping ministry later identified the vessel as the tanker Sounion, with 25 crew members on board at the time of the attack as it traveled from Iraq to Cyprus.
Later Wednesday, the UKMTO reported a second ship being targeted in the Gulf of Aden by three explosions that occurred in the water close to it, though they caused no damage. That ship, the Wind I, came under attack again Thursday with two more explosions striking in the water, the UKMTO said.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attacks, though it can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge their assaults. However, they did acknowledge US airstrikes in Hodeida, which the American military’s Central Command said destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile and radar system.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s thousands-strong October 7 assault on southern Israel that left nearly 1,200 people dead and saw 251 kidnapped. Since November, the Yemeni rebels have also seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors.
Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.
The Houthis maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the United States or the UK to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. The Houthis have also launched drones and missiles toward Israel, including an attack on July 19 that killed one person and wounded 10 others in Tel Aviv. Israel responded the next day with airstrikes on Hodeida that hit fuel depots and electrical stations, killing and wounding a number of people, the rebels say.
After the strikes, the Houthis paused their attacks until August 3, when they hit a Liberian-flagged container ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden. A Liberian-flagged oil tanker came under a particularly intense series of attacks beginning August 8, likely carried out by the rebels. A similar attack happened on August 13.
The last three recent attacks, including Wednesday’s, targeted vessels associated with Delta Tankers, a Greek company.
As Iran threatens to retaliate against Israel over the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran — which Israel neither confirmed nor denied carrying out — the US military told the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area.
Early Thursday, the US military’s Central Command said the Lincoln had reached the Mideast’s waters, without elaborating.
America has also ordered the USS Georgia-guided missile submarine into the Mideast, while the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group was in the Gulf of Oman.
Additional F-22 fighter jets have flown into the region and the USS Wasp, a large amphibious assault ship carrying F-35 fighter jets, is in the Mediterranean Sea.
Reuters and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
French destroyer rescues 29 mariners from oil tanker attacked in Red Sea
The Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion was under attack (David Mackinnon via AP)
Thu, 22 Aug, 2024 - 10:03
Jon Gambrell, Associated Press
A French destroyer has rescued 29 mariners from an oil tanker that came under repeated attack in the Red Sea, officials said on Thursday.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels are suspected to have carried out the assault on the Sounion. The attack, the most serious in the Red Sea in weeks, comes during a months-long campaign by Houthis targeting ships over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip that has disrupted trade routes.
The Sounion is now at anchor in the Red Sea and no longer drifting, the European Union’s Operation Aspides said. However, it was not clear if the vessel was still on fire. The vessel had been staffed by a crew of Filipinos and Russians.
Military officials did not name the French destroyer involved in the rescue.
In the attack on Wednesday, men on small boats first opened fire with small arms about 90 miles west of the rebel-held Yemeni port city of Hodeida, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said.
Houthi rebels are suspected to have carried out the assault on the Sounion (David Mackinnon via AP)
Four projectiles also hit the ship, it added.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attacks, though it can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge their assaults. However, they did acknowledge US air strikes in Hodeida that the American military’s Central Command said destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile and radar system.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors.
Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the United States or the UK to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
As Iran threatens to retaliate against Israel over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the US military told the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area. Early on Thursday, the US military’s Central Command said the Lincoln had reached the Middle East’s waters, without elaborating.
America has also ordered the USS Georgia-guided missile submarine into the Middle East, while the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group was in the Gulf of Oman.
Tuesday, September 03, 2024
ECOCIDE
Salvage operation for burning oil tanker in Red Sea to commence
Salvage operations of the immobilized MV Delta Sounion are to commence with support from the European Union's maritime military operation in the Red Sea.
Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A salvage operation for an immobilized and burning oil tanker in the Red Sea where Houthi rebels have been attacking commercial and military vessels is about to commence, Europe's military mission in the region said Monday.
The Greek-owned and Greek-flagged MV Delta Sounion with some 1 million barrels of crude oil on board was attacked by the Iran proxy militia early Aug. 21 as it was en route from Iraq to Greece via the Red Sea.
Its crew of two Russian and 23 Filipino sailors was evacuated, and the ship was abandoned. At least five fires have since been observed burning on the vessel around the hatches of its oil tanks, with officials warning the ship and its oil contents pose not only an environmental but navigational hazard.
Pentagon officials late last month said previous salvage operations were thwarted by Houthi threats of attack while voicing concern that the vessel appears to be leaking oil.
Eunavfor Aspides, the European Union's military operation in the Red Sea, maintains that there is no visible sign of an oil spill.
On Monday, it announced that salvage operations conducted by third parties were to begin, though specifics were scant.
The EU military mission said in a statement that it will provide tug boats for the operation and "facilitate their efforts to prevent an environmental disaster."
It said that the vessel poses "a significant environmental threat" due to the quantity of oil it is holding.
Embolden by Israel's war in Gaza, the Houthis of Yemen have since mid-November been enforcing a military blockage of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by attacking merchant vessels as well as U.S. and British military ships that attempt to transit the all-important trade route.
The Iran proxy militia claims the blockade is in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza.
The Houthis have seized at least one ship, sunk two and killed four sailors amid its roughly 150 attacks on vessels during its blockade.
One was struck by two projectiles early Monday about 70 nautical miles northwest of Saleef, Yemen. The second was struct about five hours later near the first attack, about 58 nautical miles west of Al Hudaydah, Yemen.
Neither vessel suffered casualties and both were continuing to transit to their next port of call.
UKMTO: Merchant vessel struck by 2 projectiles in Red Sea
Sept. 2, 2024
Another merchant vessel was seemingly attack in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Trade Organization said Monday. Image courtesy of United Kingdom Trade Organization/Release
Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A merchant vessel transiting the Red Sea where the Houthi Rebels of Yemen have been attacking ships was struck by two unknown projectiles early Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an advisory note.
The maritime observation agency said the vessel was hit about 70 nautical miles northwest of Saleef, Yemen. A third explosion was also reported in close proximity to the vessel.
"Damage control is underway," the agency said, citing the ship's master.
No casualties were reported onboard and the ship is proceeding to its next port of call, it said.
The ship was not identified.
The Iran-backed Houthis, embolden by Israel's war against Hamas, have been enforcing a military blockade of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Mid-November, attacking vessels that transit the region. they claim it is in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza where Israel is waging war against the other Iran proxy militia.
The rebels have seized one vessel, sunken two and killed at least four sailors amid the blockade, which has seen the Houthis launch some 150 attacks at commercial and military ships.
Salvage Plan Prepared as Greecearns of Oil Leak from Soun
Sounion continues to burn with images appearing to show an oil leak (EUNAVFOR Aspides)
The salvage plan is being prepared with a salvage team organized as they race against time to prevent an environmental disaster in the Red Sea from the burning Greek tanker Sounion. After contradictory statements and images from the various authorities regarding a possible leak, Greece submitted an urgent notice to the International Maritime Organization late on Thursday, August 29.
“According to a satellite image obtained evening hours of 29 August 2024 by the Satellite Services of European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), a potential spill of about 2.2 nautical miles length has been detected. The position of the oil spill matches with the location of the ship,” said the urgent notice from the Director General for Shipping of Greece.
The vessel is loaded with 150,000 tons of crude oil and the fires started by the Houthi appear to be spreading to additional tanks based on the images. However, there has been some speculation that the first oil leaks might be from the bunkers and the damaged engine room of the vessel. The Houthis’ video showed several holes above the waterline in the hull from the series of attacks.
The Dutch company Boskalis confirmed that it “has been asked to help salvage the tanker Sounion,” according to a report in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. A spokesperson for Boskalis said that SMIT is capable of carrying out such a salvage but noted the dangers from the Houthi attacks and unrest in the region. In addition to the fires that were set in the tanks, there are fears that there could be additional explosives on the Sounion.
Boskalis’s SMIT salvage group undertook the operation aboard the FSO Safer in the same region before the hostilities. They successfully transferred the oil to a new tanker and cleaned the FSO Safer in preparation for its removal for scrapping. The UN operation however was not completed because of a need for additional funds and the start of the attacks by the Houthis in November 2023.
Salvage teams are expected to approach the Sounion and begin a survey to confirm the plan which would either focus on a ship-to-ship transfer or attempting to move the tanker. Reuters is quoting unnamed sources saying the first efforts could begin over the weekend.
“Greece urges all nations and all actors involved to assist in preventing the environmental hazard and resolving the situation the soonest possible,” says the statement attributed to Rear Admiral H.C.G. Lagadianos Nikolaos.
Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis told reporters that he spoke with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister and that they were coordinating efforts. Bloomberg is reporting that Saudi Arabia would oversee the transfer of the oil while both Bloomberg and Reuters are saying the tanker will be moved to Djibouti.
The Houthis said on Thursday that they would permit a salvage attempted but denied a statement from Iran that there would be a ceasefire. As if to prove the point, late on Friday the Houthis fired two missiles at an unidentified merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden. Reports to UKMTO said the first landed in the water 50 meters from the bow and a second was to the stern of the vessel. The ship was not hit and continuing on course.
Houthis Step Up Attacks After Denying Iran’s Statement Last Week of
A Greek-managed shuttle tanker appears to have been today's primary target as the Houthis stepped up their attacks (file photo)
Several vessels have come under attack from the Houthis after the militant group denied last week a statement from Iran that there would be a pause to salvage the burning Greek tanker Sounion. The Houthis have vowed not to interrupt the salvage effort, but said they would continue targeting other ships.
Today’s primary target appears to be a Greek-owned, Panama-registered shuttle tanker transiting south in the Red Sea. The vessel, Blue Lagoon I (148,533 dwt) reported being hit by two projectiles which were later confirmed to be missiles. The tanker was displaying a message on its AIS saying it was carrying a Russian-origin cargo and coming from the Russian terminal of Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea.
The vessel was proceeding but the UK Maritime Trade Operations said that “damage control” was underway. The tanker was approximately 70 nautical miles northwest of Saleef, Yemen. Later it was reported that there was a third explosion near the vessel. UKMTO was informed there are no causalities. The speculation is that the vessel was targeted because its managers, Sea Trade Marine of Greece, have sent other vessels to Israel.
Following the targeting of the Blue Lagoon I, a Saudi-owned and registered tanker, Amjad (298,886 dwt) northbound in the Red Sea reported it was hit by an aerial drone. The crude oil tanker which is loaded with as much as two million barrels of oil is managed by Bahri and was transmitting its AIS signal. It was near the Blue Lagoon I prompting speculation that it was not the target for the attack. The vessel reported it was proceeding.
Late on Friday, the Houthis also resumed attacks on a Liberian-registered, Greek-managed containership. The vessel, Groton, was first attacked on August 3 sustaining damage and diverting to Djibouti. Shortly after departing Djibouti while the vessel was 130 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen two missiles exploded near the vessel late on Friday night, August 29. Unconfirmed reports are that the vessel might have again experienced minor damage.
The Houthis took responsibility for Friday’s attack on the Groton highlighting that they were continuing to target the same ship because of the shipping company’s business with Israel. The Houthis late on Monday also highlighted the attack on the Blue Lagoon I as part of their campaign against companies working with Israel. There was no mention of the drone strike on the Saudi vessel.
U.S. Central Command also issued a series of updates on new intercepts. On August 31, they said an aerial drone and an uncrewed surface boat had been destroyed. The previous day they said two aerial drones had been intercepted and the day before that an aerial drone and a missile. These were the first intercepts announced by CENTCOM since August 23.
This latest wave comes as unconfirmed reports from Greece said the salvage efforts of the Sounion commenced midday on Monday, September 2. The reports indicated three warships from the EUNAVFOR Aspides operation are positioning to protect the Sounion and two tugs were due to arrive at the burning tanker later in the day on Monday. The tow is expected to proceed slowly with the speculation being that they will go to Djibouti, but for security reasons, few details are being released.
