Houthi Attacks on the SOUNION Oil Tanker Threaten Becoming an Environmental Disaster

The United States is gravely concerned by the Houthis' attacks against the oil tanker MT DELTA SOUNION. The Houthis' continued attacks threaten to spill a million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, an amount four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster. While the crew has been evacuated, the Houthis appear determined to sink the ship and its cargo into the sea.

Through these attacks, 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. We call on the Houthis to cease these actions immediately and urge other nations to step forward to help avert this environmental disaster.