EU Commences Salvage Operation for Attacked Oil Tanker MV Sounion

The European Union's Red Sea mission, Aspides, announced the commencement of the salvage operation for the MV Sounion, a Greek-registered oil tanker attacked by Iran-aligned Houthi militants. With 1 million barrels of crude oil on board and several fires still burning, the operation poses significant environmental risks if a spill occurs.

CAIRO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The salvage operation of the oil tanker MV Sounion, recently attacked by Iran-aligned Houthi militants, is about to begin, according to the European Union's Red Sea mission, Aspides.

In a statement, Aspides reported that "several fires" were still burning on the Greek-registered vessel, which is carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil. Fortunately, there are no visible signs of an oil spill at this time.

The complexity of the salvage operation is underscored by the considerable environmental threat posed by the large volume of crude oil onboard. Private companies are set to start the operation, and the EU's naval force will provide protection to the tug boats involved. The decision to transfer the cargo or move the ship to a safe port will be made following an on-site inspection.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted commercial shipping in their campaign to support Palestinians in Gaza. On Monday, two oil ships—a Saudi-owned crude tanker and a Panama-flagged vessel—were attacked in the Red Sea off Yemen, though it remains unclear if these attacks were conducted by the Yemeni Houthi militants.

(With inputs from agencies.)