A Greek-flagged oil tanker carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil is now considered an “environmental hazard” after sustaining significant damage from projectiles and arms fire in the Red Sea.
A maritime security source informed Reuters on Thursday.
The 25-member crew of the Sounion oil tanker was safely evacuated by a vessel from Eunavfor Aspides, a European Union maritime security operation that protects commercial ships in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Gulf.
The tanker, now anchored between Yemen and Eritrea after being rendered immobile, was attacked at around 3 a.m. local time on Wednesday by “two small craft” with 13 to 15 people aboard, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
Following a brief exchange of small arms fire, the vessel was hit by at least three projectiles.
Although all crew members are in good health, as confirmed by Greece’s shipping ministry, the ship itself has sustained “material damage.”
Eunavfor Aspides has warned that the crude oil on board now represents a serious navigational and environmental risk.
The force emphasized the need for caution in the area to avoid exacerbating the situation.
The crew was transported to Djibouti, the closest safe port, while the EU’s naval team neutralized an Unmanned Surface Vessel they deemed an “imminent threat” to the ship. The identity of the attackers remains undisclosed.
Greece’s shipping ministry condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law and a serious threat to the safety of international navigation.”
This incident is part of a broader pattern of attacks on container ships in the Red Sea, which have been disrupting one of the world’s key trade routes for months.
Since late November of last year, Iran-backed Houthi militants have intensified these attacks, reportedly in response to Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
