Fire Continues to Blaze on MT Sounion in Red Sea

The Greek-registered oil tanker MT SOUNION recently encountered a major milestone in its salvage operation after being successfully towed to safety in the Red Sea. However, recent photos revealed that flames were still emanating from the tanker following the towing. The vessel, carrying approximately one million barrels of crude oil, was set on fire by Houthi fighters on August 21 while traversing the Red Sea.

Despite the successful towing, concerns over the situation persisted as recent photos taken on September 17 depicted ongoing flames on the MT SOUNION. The European Union-led operation APSIDES confirmed the safe towing of the vessel without any oil leakage under the protection of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, while private actors worked on completing the salvage operations. Subsequent satellite images showed the tanker’s new location about 81 kilometers off the coast of Eritrea in the Red Sea.

The next phase of the operation involves transferring the ship’s cargo, with the likelihood of Saudi Arabia extending assistance as per insider sources. Environmental worries loomed large as the potential loss of the vessel could lead to one of the most significant tanker oil spills in history, posing a grave risk of environmental devastation in an already vulnerable region due to continued Houthi attacks. These attacks, attributed to the Iran-backed group as support for Palestinians in the Israel-Gaza conflict, have targeted numerous commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, resulting in casualties and the captivity of ships and crews, including the Galaxy Guide vessel.

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