Greek Oil Tanker Attacked, Evacuated in Red Sea
A Greek-flagged oil tanker, called Sounion, caught fire Wednesday morning in the Red Sea after projectiles were launched at it from two small boats off the coast of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah....
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Facts
- A Greek-flagged oil tanker, called Sounion, caught fire Wednesday morning in the Red Sea after projectiles were launched at it from two small boats off the coast of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.[1]
- The attackers, who are suspected of being members of the Houthi rebel group, successfully struck the ship four times, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center — a UK military entity — though it wasn't clear if missiles or drones were involved.[2]
- According to the EU's Red Sea naval mission 'Aspides,' the Sounion, whose crew was evacuated following the attack, was carrying 150K tons of crude oil from Iraq to Agioi Theodoroi in Greece.[3]
- This is the third ship operated by the company Delta Tankers to be hit in the Red Sea this month, following attacks on two Liberia-flagged ships. A fourth was the Panama-flagged SW North Wind I, which reported nearby explosions but proceeded unharmed.[1]
- While the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group has not claimed the attack, its fighters have been conducting strikes on cargo ships since November of last year in solidarity with Palestine over the Gaza war. Yemen's Sanaa government has also imposed a blockade on Israel-bound ships since November.[4]
Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]FOX News, [3]eKathimerini.com and [4]The Cradle.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Timesofisrael. While the Houthis haven't claimed this attack yet, they often wait days to take responsibility for targeting innocent commercial cargo ships. The ones they have claimed total more than 80 since Oct. 7, most notably those linked to Israel, the US, and the UK, and even some heading to Iran. The Houthis' goal is to indiscriminately strike as many civilian boats as possible in gross violation of international norms.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. 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.
