Tanker Carrying Russian Oil to China Attacked by Houthi Sea Drone
NewsweekJUL 13 2024
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis posted footage on Thursday showing their fighters storming aboard and planting bombs on Greek oil tanker Sounion before setting them off last week.
Later, the video cuts to when at least six simultaneous blasts are set off and masked fighters carrying Kalashnikov-style rifles are heard shouting "Allahu Akbar" and chanting their motto, "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam."The video then cuts to when at least six simultaneous blasts are set off and masked fighters carrying Kalashnikov-style rifles are heard shouting "Allahu Akbar" and chanting their motto, "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam."
This comes amid global fears that a possible major oil spill from the vessel laden with about 1M crude barrels could lead to an environmental disaster and pose a further threat to navigation in Red Sea.
The recent attack by the Houthis on the Greek oil ship Sounion, which was carrying 150K tons of crude oil, demonstrates that the Iran-backed rebels are willing to take extreme measures, even at the risk of causing an environmental disaster in the Red Sea. The Sounion poses an environmental and navigational threat, so it is crucial for the world community to put this issue first. Furthermore, it is imperative to take measures to prevent the Houthis from obstructing one of the world's most crucial maritime trade routes and attacking commercial vessels.
While the Western media covers this issue by painting Houthis as terrorists, they're neglecting to add that Israel has been bombing Yemeni shipping ports, too. For instance, Israel last month bombed Hodeidah — a critical location that millions of Yemenis rely on to receive humanitarian aid. Though Israel denies all claims against it, this bombing was likely a war crime and shows the ethics of the so-called "rules-based order" for what it is.