EU Naval Mission Moves to Rescue Burning Oil Tanker

A fresh effort is underway to save the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which continues to burn in the Red Sea after being targeted by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The European Union's Operation Aspides released images of its vessels providing a secure environment for tugboats to journey toward the tanker. The fear is that the 1 million barrels of crude oil on the ship could end up in the Red Sea.

The Sounion was attacked beginning August 21; the 25 Filipino and Russian crew members on board, along with four private security personnel, were evacuated to Djibouti by a French destroyer. The Houthis have planted and detonated explosives on the ship, heightening concerns about a potential spill. Since the Gaza conflict escalation in October, the Houthis have targeted over 80 ships using missiles and drones. They seized one vessel and sank two others, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. While the Houthis claim to target vessels linked to Israel, the US, or the UK in protest of Israel's offensive in Gaza, many attacked ships have no direct ties to the conflict. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)