The United States is warning of a potential ecological disaster in the Red Sea following an attack by Yemen-based Houthi rebels on an oil tanker last week.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said late Sunday the U.N. Security Council “must condemn” the Houthi attack on the MT Delta Sounion
“The Houthis’ brazen actions threaten to create an ecological disaster with devastating consequences for the region,” Thomas-Greenfield said on X.
She said the U.N. Security Council should demand immediate compliance with a January resolution calling on the Houthis to immediately stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed Houthis said Thursday they targeted the Greek-flagged tanker as part of their campaign against commercial shipping in the region in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Rescuers evacuated the tanker’s crew following the attack, which left the ship in flames.
The European Union’s Red Sea naval mission Aspides said the tanker was carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Saturday that the Houthis “have made clear they are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems that Yemenis and other communities in the region rely on for their livelihoods, just as they have undermined the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the region through their reckless attacks.”
The Houthi campaign has disrupted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, prompting many shipping companies to reroute ships to longer and more expensive routes.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters
