Photos: MT Sounion Transits Suez Canal Six Months
After Houthi Attack
March 10, 2025
The Greek-registered MT Sounion oil tanker has successfully completed its
transit through Egypt’s Suez Canal following a complex salvage operation in the
Red Sea, where it was attacked by Houthi militants last year.
The vessel, carrying approximately 1 million barrels
of crude oil, suffered a devastating attack on August 21, 2024, when
Houthi-launched anti-ship missiles disabled its critical control systems.
Thankfully, a French frigate safely evacuated all 29 crew members aboard.
Two days later, the situation deteriorated further
when Houthi forces boarded the vessel, detonating explosives across the main
decks and bridge, causing more than a dozen fires on board and compromising the
tanker’s structural integrity.
Complex Operation Prevents Major
Environmental Disaster in Red Sea
With the tanker burning, the U.S. State Department
warned of a potential oil spill “four times the size of the Exxon Valdez
disaster,” which prompted a massive international response.
The Sounion’s location—well within
range of Houthi range—made the salvage operation a unique challenge. Explosive
ordnance disposal teams had to clear unexploded devices before salvage could
commence. Specialists from around the world were mobilized, with firefighting
and towing equipment flown in under expedited diplomatic clearances.
The scale of the effort required advanced tugs from
Greece and a flotilla of support vessels, alongside close protection from
European Union naval assets.
In mid-September, the salvage flotilla, supported by
three EUNAVFOR naval assets and close air support, managed to tow the Sounion to
a safe location 150 miles north, where firefighting operations continued.
Over the following three weeks, the fires were
extinguished, the cargo tanks were patched and inerted, and the tanker was
stabilized. By early October, the vessel was towed to Suez, where her cargo was
safely offloaded.
In total, the operation brought together over 200
specialists and multiple organizations, including Megatugs Salvage &
Towage, Diaplous, Offmain, Fire Aid, Pro Liquid, and Ambipar Response.
Suez Transit:
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