Efforts are underway to prevent an oil tanker targeted by Houthi rebels from spilling about a million barrels of oil into the Red Sea.
The Greek-owned, Greek-flagged MV Sounion was abandoned by its crew off the coast of Oman after being attacked by Yemeni militants on August 21.
Private companies under the protection of a European Union military force will attempt to salvage the ship that is likely to have caused one of the biggest ever oil leaks from a tanker and was still ablaze on Monday.
Over the past 10 months, the Houthis have targeted several ships in the Red Sea, a campaign the Iran-backed group says is aimed at supporting Hamas in Gaza.
The US military’s Central Command said late Tuesday that the stricken oil tanker “poses a risk of a major environmental disaster” and accused the Houthis of “reckless acts of terrorism”.
The newspaper said rescue operations were “under way”, although it was unclear whether rescue ships had reached Sounion.
On Monday, the EU military operation in the area said several fires were still burning on the tanker’s main deck, although there was no clear sign of an oil spill.
Last week, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the Houthis – who have falsely claimed to only target Israeli, US and British vessels – attacked the Sounion with gunfire, before hitting it with three unidentified projectiles. The ship’s 25 crew members rescued by a European warship.
The tanker was then attacked again, with the group releasing footage showing Houthi rebels boarding the ship and setting the deck on fire.
In a recent speech, the Houthi leader called the attack “brave and daring.”
The US State Department has previously warned that the oil spill from Sounion could be nearly four times larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. That incident left 2,100 km (1,300 miles) of coastline contaminated after an oil tanker ran aground off Alaska.
In recent days, Houthi rebels have continued to target crude oil tankers in the Red Sea.
On Monday, the US military command said two oil tankers were attacked by ballistic missiles and drones, including the Saudi-owned and flagged MV Amjad, which was believed to be carrying about two million barrels of oil.
A US-led military campaign has carried out air strikes in Yemen, where the Houthis control much of the country, aimed at disrupting their ability to attack ships passing through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
