Red Sea: Houthis Release Video of Fighters Planting Bombs on Tanker

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Facts

  • 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.[1][2]
  • The video then cuts to when at least six simultaneous blasts are set off and masked fighters carrying Kalashnikov-style rifles are heard shouting slogans.[1][2]
  • This comes amid global fears that a possible major oil spill from the vessel transporting about 1M crude barrels could lead to an environmental disaster and pose a further threat to navigation in the Red Sea.[3]
  • According to two sources who spoke to Reuters on Friday, a salvage operation to recover the tanker is due to start in the coming days as a potential spill — reportedly from the engine — had been detected in the area.[4][5]
  • The ship was first attacked with small arms fire, missiles, and a drone boat on Aug. 21, forcing the crew to evacuate the ship. A French destroyer operating under the EU Operation Aspides rescued the crew and transported them to Djibouti.[6]
  • The Houthis have been conducting strikes on cargo ships since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestine over the Gaza war — targeting over 80 vessels with missiles and drones. One of them was captured and another was sunk, with four sailors dead.[7][8]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]New York Post, [3]Al Jazeera, [4]Reuters, [5]Alarabiya, [6]Newsweek, [7]Euronews and [8]The Cradle.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Washington Institute. The recent attack on the Sounion demonstrates that the Iran-backed Houthis are willing to take extreme measures in the Red Sea despite their consequences. Given that there is an environmental and navigational threat, it's crucial for the world to put the salvage operation first. Then, it's imperative to take steps to further counter Houthi actions in the Red Sea.
  • 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 for humanitarian aid. This bombing was likely a war crime and shows the ethics of the so-called 'rules-based order' for what it is.

Predictions