International Observers Watch for Major Oil Spill Following Houthi Oil Tanker Attack

International observers continue to monitor for signs of a major oil spill in the Red Sea after Houthi rebel forces struck a tanker vessel carrying more than a million barrels of crude oil in a recent explosive attack.
Operation Aspides officials reported on Wednesday that the fires continue to burn from multiple points on the ship.
The EU maritime security mission assessed no oil appeared to be leaking from the vessel as of Wednesday, and the abandoned ship remained anchored in its position. The EU maritime mission still advised nearby vessels to proceed with caution, as the abandoned ship “poses both a navigational risk and a serious and imminent threat of regional pollution.”
Dominguez said the risk of an oil spill is “extremely serious” and “there is widespread concern about the damage such a spill would cause within the region.”
Dominguez said the IMO stands ready to assist in addressing the safety, security, and environmental risks posed by the abandonment of the Sounion.
“I continue to monitor the situation closely and reiterate my call for an immediate end to the illegal, cowardly, and unjustifiable attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea area,” Dominguez continued.
The long-running Yemeni Civil War has largely died down following a U.N.-brokered cease-fire agreement reached in the Spring of 2022. The Houthis continue to retain control over large swathes of Yemeni territory.
While the Yemeni internal conflict has wound down, the Houthis have increasingly looked to conflicts beyond their borders. The Yemeni rebel faction has targeted commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea with drone and missile attacks since October, asserting solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas battle in the Gaza Strip.