Houthis Allow Rescue Effort for Stricken Oil Tanker After Attack

Yemen's Houthi group agreed to allow rescue ships to approach a damaged crude oil tanker, the Sounion, which poses a significant environmental threat. The move follows international appeals and the Iran-aligned group's attack on the vessel. Conflicting reports exist about oil leakage, with ongoing concerns about potential spills.

Yemen's Houthi group has agreed to allow tugboats and rescue ships to reach a damaged crude oil tanker in the Red Sea, according to Iran's mission to the United Nations. The decision comes after the militants attacked the Greek-flagged vessel, Sounion, last week, which is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil.

Shipping officials have warned that any spill from the tanker could be among the largest in recorded history, posing a severe environmental hazard. Ansarullah, the Houthi political wing, agreed to the rescue efforts after several countries requested a temporary truce, emphasizing humanitarian and environmental concerns.

Despite consenting to rescue operations, there is no official truce in place. The Sounion was targeted by projectiles near Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, with conflicting reports on whether oil is leaking. Iran's U.N. mission emphasized that the failure to prevent an oil spill is due to negligence by certain countries rather than security threats.

(With inputs from agencies.)