An operation is underway in the Red Sea to prevent an oil spill from a Greek tanker damaged by shelling by Houthi militants. This was reported by the BBCand by UNN.
Details
The Greek-owned tanker MV Sounion is drifting off the coast of Oman with about a million barrels of oil that could spill into the water and cause a large-scale environmental disaster.
A number of private companies are trying to stabilize the situation and prevent oil leaks, and EU military mission vessels are protecting the workers.
On Tuesday evening, the US Central Command reported that the operation was still ongoing and the risk of oil leakage remained, and accused the Iranian-backed Houthis of "irresponsible acts of terrorism."
It is noted that, according to the State Department , in the event of an oil spill from a tanker, it could be four times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989, when an oil leak off the coast of Alaska polluted about 2,100 km of coastline.
Addendum
Last week, the Yemeni Houthis authorized the towing of the oil tanker MV Sounion, which caught fire in the Red Sea after an attack by
The crew of the tanker was rescued after the shelling on August 21 by an EU military mission vessel, and the abandoned tanker is still on fire.
Recall
The CEO of the world's second largest container group, AP Møller-Maersk, suggests that disruptions to global trade due to Houthi rebel attacks in Yemen, which are forcing ships to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal, could last until next year.