The Greek-flagged vessel Sounion has been engulfed in flames since August 23 following an assault by Yemen's Houthis, with no discernible signs of an oil spill, according to the EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides. In a post on X on Monday, the EU mission shared images from Sunday depicting fire and smoke emanating from the ship's main deck.
The Houthis, who dominate Yemen's most heavily populated areas, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea on Thursday. This Iran-aligned faction has been targeting ships in support of Palestinians amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Aspides reported that fires were visible at least five spots on the main deck, and part of the superstructure was also ablaze.
A satellite image captured by the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Satellite 2 revealed smoke over the sea near the last known location of Sounion. Reuters confirmed the image by matching it with the vessel's last tracked position from LSEG ship tracker. Aspides warned on Thursday that the oil tanker, laden with 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, presents a significant environmental risk.
