A Greek-owned oil tanker, the Sounion, is adrift and on fire in the Red Sea after suffering multiple attacks, according to reports from British and Greek authorities. The tanker, flagged under Greece, was first targeted by gunfire from two small boats early Wednesday, approximately 77 nautical miles (143 km) west of Yemen’s Hudaydah port, as reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office.
Following this initial attack, the Sounion was struck by three unidentified projectiles, igniting a fire on board and leaving the vessel without engine power. Fortunately, all 25 crew members on board were reported to be unharmed.
While no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks, Greece’s minister of maritime affairs condemned the incident as a blatant violation of international law. Speculation points towards Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement, which has a history of targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November. The Houthis have claimed they are acting in support of Palestinians in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, though they often falsely claim to target vessels linked to Israel, the US, or the UK.
Despite the presence of Western warships in the region aimed at protecting merchant vessels, and recent airstrikes by US and British forces on Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen, the group has continued its attacks. Last month, Israel also bombed Hudaydah’s port in retaliation for a deadly drone strike on Tel Aviv.
The Sounion, a 274-meter-long, 50-meter-wide “Suezmax” tanker, was transporting crude oil from Iraq’s Basra port when it came under attack. Delta Tankers, the Greek operator of the vessel, stated that the tanker sustained “minor” damage, and the crew was assessing the situation before resuming their journey.
In a related incident on the same day, the Panama-flagged cargo ship SW North Wind I reported three explosions in the water nearby while sailing through the Gulf of Aden. The UKMTO confirmed that the crew was unharmed, and the vessel continued its voyage.
This attack follows a June incident where the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship Tutor sank after being attacked by a Houthi sea drone in the Red Sea, resulting in the death of one crew member.
