'Imminent environmental hazard' as Houthi-hit Delta Tankers' ship ablaze in Red Sea 

22 August

Naval operation Aspides has co-ordinated a rescue of the crew from Delta Tankers’ drifting, fire-stricken Suezmax Sounion.

EUNAVFOR Aspides, the naval operation in the Red Sea region confirmed via email that the attacks were Houthi-led and said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that it had responded to a request from the captain of Sounion and despatched a rescue ship, noting the vessel had not asked for an escort through the area.

Delta Tankers confirmed the incident in an emailed statement to Riviera.

"The Master and crew aboard Sounion have taken the decision to evacuate the vessel. We are grateful for the naval support. Plans are in place to move the vessel to a safer destination where a full assessment (checks and any repairs) can be undertaken," the Delta Tankers statement said.

The EU naval operation said its rescue vessel "destroyed an unmanned surface vessel that posed an imminent threat to the ship and the crew," as the naval ship approached Sounion.

"All aboard... Sounion were subsequently rescued and are being transported to Djibouti, the nearest safe port of call," the Aspides statement said.

According the naval force, the ship is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil and "now represents a navigational and environmental hazard". The group called for caution and avoidance of "any actions that could lead to a deterioration of the current situation".

Shortly before the EU naval force had posted to Twitter, UK-based private maritime security firm Ambrey sent an alert that appeared to reference Sounion, saying the vessel had been "reportedly impacted by an unmanned surface vehicle in the southern Red Sea".

"Prior to this incident, the vessel was targeted with missiles on five occasions during its transit through the western Gulf of Aden and southern Red Sea," the Ambrey alert said. 

A spokesperson for Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed there have been two vessels in the line of fire near Yemen over the past two days, and reports citing private maritime security firm Vanguard have said the other vessel is SW North Wind I, a Panama-flagged, 56,000-dwt bulker managed by Monaco-based Sea World Management. 

UKMTO reports show the bulker has taken fire, with six explosions reported in the vessel’s proximity.

21 August

Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) service is reporting the Greek-flagged Sounion Suezmax oil tanker has been attacked multiple times while transiting the Red Sea.

"The master of a merchant vessel reported at 02:57 UTC [21 August 2024] that the vessel was approached by two small craft. The first craft had three to five persons on board, while the second had approximately 10. The two small craft hailed the merchant vessel, leading to a brief exchange of small arms fire," the UKMTO reported.

At 05:00 UTC, the vessel’s master reported being hit by two unidentified projectiles, followed by a third strike by an unidentified projectile around an hour later.

"There is a fire on board and the vessel has lost engine power," the UKMTO reported. "The vessel is drifting and not under command. The master also reports a small craft acting suspiciously in the vicinity."

Delta Tankers, the owner and operator of 163,800-dwt Sounion, confirmed the report in an email to Riviera, saying all crew are safe and pointing further queries to the US-led naval coalition’s US Central Command.

"Delta Tankers confirms that its tanker, Sounion has been involved in a hostile incident in the Red Sea. The vessel has suffered minor damage. The crew and vessel are safe and unharmed. The vessel is currently adrift while the crew assess damage before the vessel will continue on its onward journey. We remain in contact with maritime security authorities who are investigating the incident.”

With more than 100 attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea region, geopolitical strife continues to dominate one of shipping’s busiest trade corridors.

The Houthis are suspected of mounting fresh attacks in the Red Sea in recent weeks following a period of relative calm. One widely reported attack came about 115 km south of the Houthi-held port city of Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The British military’s UKMTO said the attack saw an explosive detonate near a merchant vessel on 13 August. The vessel and crew are thought to be safe. Private security firm Ambrey reported two further attacks on the same vessel later that day. 

And on 19 July, Singapore-flagged container ship Lobivia was struck by projectiles while transiting the Gulf of Aden. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said no lives were lost. 

More than 100 vessels have been attacked in the region, by the UKMTO’s count, with most attacks confirmed or suspected to have come from the rebel Houthi militia in Yemen over the nine months since the barrage on merchant shipping began in November 2023.

The US Department of State said the Yemeni group continues to receive “vast revenues from the illicit shipment of Iranian commodities” that enable the Houthis’ ongoing attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways and has issued repeated rounds of sanctions on individuals and companies.

Israel, too, has recently imposed sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, according to The Times of Israel, which said 18 oil tankers have been sanctioned by the Israeli Defense Ministry’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing for alleged oil trading to finance designated terrorist organisations.

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