Pentagon cautions that oil leakage is probable from damaged Red Sea tanker

The U.S. military is working with partners in the region to assist a vessel attacked by Iran-aligned group Houthis in the Red Sea. The group has sunk two ships and killed three crew members in a 10-month campaign, disrupting global ocean shipping. The Houthis targeted the tanker because it violated a ban on entering ports in occupied Palestine. This attack on the Sounion, operated by Delta Tankers, caused a fire on board that the crew managed to extinguish. This is the third vessel operated by Delta Tankers to be attacked in the Red Sea this month. The incident highlights the potential environmental impact of such attacks, with the largest recorded ship-source spill in history occurring in 1979 when 287,000 metric tons of oil leaked from the Atlantic Empress after a collision in the Caribbean Sea. The ongoing attacks by the Houthis are causing concern for the safety and security of vessels in the region, prompting a coordinated effort to address the situation and mitigate environmental damage.

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