Burning oil tanker in Red Sea: salvagers call off dangerous tow

A European Union naval mission reported on Tuesday that salvagers halted their attempt to tow a burning oil tanker in the Red Sea, which had been targeted by Yemen's Houthi rebels, stating that it was "not safe to proceed."

The EU's Operation Aspides has left the Sounion stuck in the Red Sea, posing a risk of spilling its 1 million barrels of oil.

Although a significant spill has not happened yet, this situation could escalate into one of the most severe incidents in the ongoing campaign by Iranian-backed rebels, which has already affected the $1 trillion worth of goods that transit the Red Sea annually due to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

Additionally, it has disrupted some aid deliveries to the war-torn regions of Sudan and Yemen.

According to Matthew Bey, a senior analyst at the RANE Network, a risk consultancy, the key to convincing the Houthis to stop or lessen their attacks lies in ending the Gaza conflict, regardless of how that is achieved. He also points out the importance of easing tensions between Israel and its neighbours, along with those between Israel and Iran.

Bey added that the Houthis' attacks have increased in effectiveness. “The Houthis have learned quite a bit from what they’ve been doing over the last year — it’s been a very significant, recruiting boon for them. So I think there are a lot of incentives for them to target shipping in the future, because they’ve learned that they can be very successful on that. It brings in the West, which is kind of the enemy that they want to fight to some degree as well,” he said.

He cautions that the assaults are expected to persist until a cease-fire is established in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

However, even after that, there remains a possibility that the rebels will carry on with their attacks.

On August 21, the Houthis launched an assault on the Greek-flagged tanker using small arms, projectiles, and a drone boat.

A French destroyer, part of Operation Aspides, came to the rescue, evacuating the crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, along with four private security personnel, after they abandoned the ship and transported them to Djibouti.

The Houthis released a video last week that displayed them planting explosives on the Sounion and setting them off, a strategy they have used in their past propaganda efforts.

The Houthis have indicated they might permit a salvage operation for the Sounion, but critics argue that the rebels have previously leveraged the threat of an environmental crisis involving another oil tanker off Yemen to gain concessions from the international community.

Since the onset of the war in Gaza in October, the Houthis have aimed missiles and drones at over 80 merchant vessels.

The rebels claim their targets are ships associated with Israel, the U.S., or the U.K., intending to pressure for an end to Israel's actions against Hamas in Gaza.

Nevertheless, many of the vessels attacked have minimal or no ties to the conflict, including some headed for Iran.