Western nations, led by the US and ones across Europe, with the most modern warship fleets, seem absolutely powerless to stop Iran-backed Houthi rebels from launching missile and drone strikes on merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Oman (maybe because it's an election year in the US).
The US and EU have launched numerous military operations committed to ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security in the highly contested region but have failed repeatedly.
The latest failure by the West comes earlier this week after a missile attack bombarded Greek-flagged oil tanker MV Sounion about 77 nautical miles west of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, forcing at least one EU warship to rescue the crew of the Suezmax tanker—the largest type of oil tanker capable of transiting the Suez Canal.
Here are our reports on the maritime incident:
On Thursday, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, the European Union's military operation committed to ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea, warned Sounion was set on fire and carrying 150,000 tons of crude and now "represents a navigational and environmental hazard."
Fast forward to Friday, when reports from the Financial Times and Reuters say Houthi rebels blew up the oil tanker.
Dramatic video of the explosion was uploaded on x.
Video allegedly showing the MT Sounion exploding and on fire in the Red Sea. The tanker is carrying 150,000 metric tons of oil. A full release of the cargo would make it one of the worst tanker oil spills in history
Reuters quoted Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree in a televised speech, that said the tanker "belongs to a company that has ties to the Israeli enemy and violated the ban decision of entry to the ports of occupied Palestine.
"The blowing up of the ship marks a new tactic for the Houthis. Since the group began its campaign against international shipping last November, it has sunk two ships — the Rubymar, attacked in February, and the Tutor, attacked in June," Financial Times noted.
Maritime expert Noam Raydan, and author of The Chokepoint, provided a detailed update on the situation in the Red Sea:
No comments:
Post a Comment