Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said the group would allow tugs and rescue vessels to reach a damaged Sounion crude oil tanker in the Red Sea, according to Reuters.
Last week, the Houthis attacked a Greek-flagged vessel. The Sounion tanker carried 150,000 tonnes, or 1 million barrels, of crude oil and posed an environmental hazard, shipping officials claimed. Any spill could be one of the largest in history, according to Iran’s mission to the United Nations.
Several countries have reached out to ask Ansarullah [the Houthis], requesting a temporary truce for the entry of tugboats and rescue ships into the incident area. In consideration of humanitarian and environmental concerns, Ansarullah has consented to this request.
Abdulsalam reported on Wednesday that there was no temporary truce, but the group agreed to allow the towing of the Sounion tanker only after several international parties contacted the Houthis.
The Sounion was hit by several shells last week off the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The group confirmed that it had carried out the attack. Since November, the Houthis have sunk two ships, hijacked another and killed at least three sailors in more than 70 attacks.
On Tuesday, before the statement by the Houthis, the Pentagon claimed that a third party had tried to send two tugs to help rescue the Sounion, but the Houthis threatened to target them. However, Iran’s mission to the UN said that “the failure to provide aid and prevent an oil spill in the Red Sea stems from the negligence of certain countries, rather than concerns over the possibility of being targeted.”
