The United States has issued a warning about a possible ecological disaster in the Red Sea following an attack by Yemen-based Houthi rebels on an oil tanker last week.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stated on Sunday that the U.N. Security Council must condemn the Houthi attack on the oil tanker MT Delta Sounion. She emphasized that the Houthis’ actions pose a significant threat to the region’s environment, potentially leading to a disaster with severe consequences.
Thomas-Greenfield urged the U.N. Security Council to enforce a resolution from January that called on the Houthis to cease all attacks on ships in the Red Sea immediately.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Greek-flagged tanker, stating it was part of their broader campaign against commercial shipping in the area. They also expressed solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The attack left the tanker ablaze, and its crew had to be evacuated by rescuers. The European Union’s Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, reported that the tanker was carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller criticized the Houthis, saying their actions threaten to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems that many Yemenis and other communities in the region depend on for their livelihoods. He also noted that the Houthis have undermined the delivery of essential humanitarian aid to the region through their reckless attacks.
The Houthi campaign has disrupted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, forcing many shipping companies to reroute their vessels to longer and more expensive routes.
