Ahmed Shaaban (Aden)
The European Naval Mission “Aspedes” announced yesterday that conditions are not suitable for towing the Greek oil tanker “Sunion”, which is on fire after being attacked by the Houthis off Yemen, warning of an unprecedented environmental disaster in the region.
“The private companies responsible for the rescue operation concluded that the conditions were not suitable for the towing operation and that it was not safe to proceed. The private companies are now considering alternative solutions,” the Red Sea Security Mission reported on the X platform, without providing further details on the safety issue.
This came the day after the mission announced that the towing operation was “about to begin.”
The European Union’s Aspides mission announced the day before yesterday that the rescue of the oil tanker that is still burning after being attacked by Houthis off Yemen “is about to begin.”
On August 21, the Greek-flagged ship “Sunion” was attacked by Houthis, which, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, led to a fire on board and the failure of its engine.
“There are still several fires burning on the main deck of the ship, but there is currently no clear sign of an oil spill,” the mission said.
The crew of the ship “Sunion”, consisting of 23 Filipinos and two Russians, was evacuated the day after the attack by a French frigate participating in the European mission.
The Houthi group continues to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, undermining UN-sponsored peace efforts in Yemen, and threatening international navigation, trade, the marine environment, and the security and stability of the region.
Yemeni political analyst Mahmoud Al-Taher believes that stopping the Houthi violations in the Red Sea is the way to establish peace in Yemen, so there must be military and diplomatic pressure on the Houthis, and the group must be removed from Al-Hodeidah Governorate, explaining that the continued attacks on commercial ships contribute to prolonging the war and crisis in Yemen.
Al-Tahir said in a statement to Al-Ittihad that Al-Houthi refuses to reach a balanced peace according to the decisions of the United Nations and the international community. Whenever the legitimate government enters into dialogue, the group thwarts attempts to resolve the crisis and stir up stagnant waters in order for there to be real peace in Yemen.
He warned that the Houthi attacks on commercial ships threaten international navigation and the security and stability of the region. The world has sensed this threat and we have warned many times that the group is not working for peace and is working to create chaos in the region.
For his part, political analyst and head of the Yemen and Gulf Center for Studies, Walid Al-Abara, explained that the Houthi attacks led to increased tension in the Red Sea.
Warning that there is great coordination and rapprochement between terrorist organizations, which threatens the region.
The head of the Yemen and Gulf Center for Studies warned in a statement to Al-Ittihad that these practices carried out by the Houthi group harm the interests of Yemen and the countries of the region, and portend a serious environmental disaster as a result of oil leakage from tankers, as happened with the Greek ship “Sunion,” which repeats the crisis of the floating tanker Safer.
It is noteworthy that the Houthi attack on international navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, 10 months ago, caused the sinking of two ships, the killing of three sailors, and the disruption of international shipping traffic by forcing ships to avoid passing through the waterway.
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