Oil Tanker Continues to Burn Days After Houthi Red Sea Attack

An oil tanker remains ablaze six days after being attacked by Houthi forces in the Red Sea. 

The Sounion, a Suezmax tanker built in 2006, marks the third vessel from Greece's Delta Tankers to be targeted by the Houthis this month.

According to Operation Aspides, also known as EUNAVFOR Aspides, the EU’s military response to Houthi aggression, the master of the Sounion issued a distress call on August 21 while the tanker was sailing through the southern Red Sea.

The Houthis launched an attack on the Sounion, which resulted in the tanker losing engine power. At that time, the vessel was at anchor and showed no signs of fire. 

EUNAVFOR Aspides deployed a ship to evacuate the crew and intercepted a suspected Houthi drone en route. The crew was successfully rescued and transported to Djibouti. However, two days later, the Houthis struck the tanker again, igniting fires in at least five locations on the deck.

In a post on X, EUNAVFOR Aspides stated: "It’s estimated that these (the flames) are located around the hatches of the vessel’s oil tanks. Additionally, part of the superstructure is on fire, too. So far there are no obvious signs of an oil spill. The ship remains anchored at the same point in international waters."

As the Sounion carries 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, the ongoing fire poses a significant ecological risk. Data from SP Global's vessel-tracking system indicates that the tanker was transporting oil from Basra, Iraq, to Singapore.

EUNAVFOR Aspides also warned: "All vessels in the area must exercise extreme caution, as the Sounion is both a navigational and an imminent environmental hazard."

The first Houthi attack on Delta Tankers' vessels occurred on August 8, when the Delta Blue narrowly avoided an explosion after four attempted strikes by the Houthis within a 24-hour period. On August 13, another tanker from the company, the Delta Atlantica, escaped harm after three attempted attacks by the Houthis.

Security consultancy Vanguard suggests that Delta Tankers' ships may be targeted due to another of its vessels, the Delta Star, calling at an Israeli port in July.