Houthi rebels authorize towing of cargo ship attacked in Red Sea due to risk of oil spill

Aug. 28 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Houthi rebels, who control large parts of Yemen, announced on Wednesday that they would allow an international procedure to try to tow an oil tanker attacked last week in the Red Sea, given the risk of a large-scale oil spill.

The Greek-flagged Sounion, carrying 150,000 tons of oil, has been stranded in the area after the entire crew was evacuated. The US Department of Defense on Tuesday sounded the alarm over a possible oil spill.

A Houthi spokesman, Mohamed Abdel Salam, said that at the request of several foreign governments, “especially European ones,” the group would allow the Sounion to be towed, according to the affiliated news agency Saba. However, he recalled that the situation in which the cargo ship finds itself demonstrates the ability of the Shiite insurgency to influence navigation in the Red Sea.

The rebels have targeted ships that may be collaborating directly or indirectly with the “Zionist enemy.” They have threatened to continue carrying out attacks until the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip ceases.

The International Maritime Organisation (IOM) has confirmed that it is closely following the case. Its Secretary General, Arsenio Domínguez, has expressed “extreme concern” about the situation of the ship, victim of “another unacceptable attack on international shipping”.

“The risk of an oil spill (…) remains high and there is concern about the damage it could cause throughout the region,” warned Dominguez, who offered the agency’s collaboration to guarantee the safety of the vessel and also of the environment.