Fires Break Out on Abandoned Greek Oil Tanker Attacked by Yemen Rebels

By IndraStra Global News Team

Cover Image Attribute: This frame grab from video released by the Ansar Allah Media Office, the media arm of Yemen's Houthi rebels, on Friday, August 23, 2024, shows what the Houthis describe as one of their attacks on the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion (IMO: 9312145) in the Red Sea. The logo in the bottom right-hand corner of the image reads in Arabic: 'Yemeni War Media.' (Ansar Allah Media Office)

Fires erupted on Friday (August 23) aboard a Greek-flagged oil tanker named Sounion (IMO: 9312145), which had been attacked earlier in the week by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The tanker, now seemingly adrift in the Red Sea, had been abandoned by its crew on Thursday and was reportedly anchored in place. The circumstances surrounding the new fires remain unclear, and the Houthis have not yet acknowledged the incident.
The Houthi rebels are suspected of attacking at least one other vessel that subsequently sank, as part of their ongoing campaign against shipping in the Red Sea linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. These attacks have significantly disrupted a critical trade route, through which around $1 trillion in goods typically pass each year. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center confirmed the fires in a warning to mariners on Friday night.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported that three fires had been observed on the vessel, which now seems to be drifting. A U.S. defense official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the information, confirmed that American officials were aware of the fires and were closely monitoring the situation.
The oil tanker Sounion, carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil, had a crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, along with four private security personnel, who were evacuated to Djibouti by a French destroyer, according to the European Union's Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea. The mission has warned that the vessel poses both a navigational and environmental hazard, urging everyone in the vicinity to exercise caution and avoid any actions that could worsen the situation.
Late Friday night, the Houthis released a video showing an explosion hitting the Sounion, with their fighters in the background chanting the group's slogan: "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam." A frame-by-frame analysis of the video by The Associated Press indicated that three simultaneous explosions occurred on the deck of the Sounion. This pattern suggests the attack involved explosives planted on the ship, rather than a missile or drone strike.
Since the Gaza conflict began in October, the Houthis have targeted over 80 vessels with missiles and drones. They have seized one ship and sunk two others, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. One of the sunken ships, the Tutor, was destroyed after the Houthis placed explosives on it, following an earlier attack that led to its crew abandoning the ship. Some of the missiles and drones have been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition or failed to reach their targets.
The Houthis claim they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. to pressure an end to Israel's actions against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the targeted vessels have little to no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. Amid rising tensions, particularly after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the U.S. military ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to accelerate its deployment to the region. The U.S. Central Command confirmed the Lincoln's arrival in Middle Eastern waters early Thursday, without providing further details.
The U.S. has increased its military presence in the region, deploying the USS Georgia-guided missile submarine and positioning the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group in the Gulf of Oman. Additional F-22 fighter jets have also been sent to the area, and the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship carrying F-35 fighter jets, is stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. Early Saturday, U.S. Central Command reported that it had destroyed a Houthi missile system in Yemen within the past 24 hours.

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