Oil Tanker Salvaged After Weeks-Long Fire in the Red Sea

An oil tanker that burned for weeks in the Red Sea following an attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels has been successfully salvaged, preventing what could have been an environmental catastrophe.

The tanker, Sounion, was carrying one million barrels of crude oil and posed a significant threat of a massive spill in one of the world's critical waterways.

The vessel became a target of Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who reportedly sabotaged it with explosives amid escalating tensions linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. The attack led to extensive damage, with fires engulfing the ship and raising fears of an ecological disaster.

In a statement on Friday, private security firm Ambrey, which was instrumental in the salvage operations, detailed the efforts taken to secure the vessel. "Over three challenging weeks, the fires were extinguished, cargo tanks patched and pressurized with inert gas, and the vessel declared safe," the firm said. Ambrey worked in collaboration with a European naval force and expert salvagers to manage the operation.

The salvage process involved months of painstaking effort. In early October, the tanker was towed north to the Suez Canal for further inspection and the removal of its cargo. According to Ambrey, the remaining crude oil was successfully offloaded, mitigating the immediate threat to marine ecosystems in the region.

This incident highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in maritime operations within the Red Sea and surrounding areas, as geopolitical conflicts continue to pose risks to international shipping and environmental safety. The successful resolution of the Sounion crisis underscores the importance of coordinated international efforts in mitigating such threats.

As the Red Sea remains a vital artery for global trade, authorities and stakeholders are urged to strengthen security measures to prevent future incidents that could have devastating consequences for marine biodiversity and regional stability.