Yemen Allows Rescue Boats to Approach Burning Oil Tanker

Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement has allowed tug boats and rescue ships to reach the Greek-owned Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea, which was struck in a Yemeni naval operation last week.

The tanker remained drifting and in flames for several days after the attack, launched by the armed forces of Yemen’s Sanaa government – which is merged with Ansarallah.

“After several international parties contacted us, especially the European ones, they were allowed to tow the burning oil tanker, Sounion,” said Ansarallah spokesman and head of the Sanaa government’s UN delegation, Mohammad Abdul Salam.

“We confirm that the burning of the aforementioned oil tanker is an example of Yemen's seriousness in targeting any ship that violates the Yemeni ban decision to prevent any ship from crossing to the ports of occupied Palestine with the aim of exerting pressure on the Zionist enemy entity to stop its aggression on Gaza,” Abdul Salam went on to say.

“All shipping companies linked to the Zionist enemy entity must realize that their ships will remain vulnerable to Yemeni strikes wherever the Yemeni armed forces can reach them until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted.”

A Pentagon spokesman told CNN on Wednesday that the Sounion ship was leaking oil and warned of a “potential environmental catastrophe.” Another US official told Reuters on 28 August that the ship was leaking an “unidentified substance.”

The EU mission, Operation Aspides, said on Wednesday that there was no spill. It confirmed that the ship was still on fire and was anchored and no longer drifting.

“There are fires detected in several locations on the main deck of the vessel. There’s no oil spill, and the ship is still anchored and not drifting,” Operation Aspides said.

The Sounion ship was hit by Yemeni forces on 21 August, along with another vessel in the Gulf of Aden, according to a statement released by Yemen’s military media on 22 August. The statement said the two ships had violated the Yemeni ban on sailing to Israeli ports. A day later, the media page released footage of the attack.

A French warship rescued the 29 crew members who were aboard the vessel. By 22 August, it had stopped drifting, the EU mission said at the time.

The Yemeni army has, since 14 November, imposed a naval blockade on Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea, Arab Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in support of the resistance in Gaza.

Israeli-linked ships or vessels en route to Israeli ports in violation of this blockade have been struck in Yemeni missile and drone operations.

Sanaa’s forces have vowed not to stop the campaign until a ceasefire is reached in the besieged strip. The blockade has significantly impacted Israel’s economy.