23/08/2024 (Agence Europe) – The EU naval mission Aspides, set up in February to protect ships in the Red Sea against attacks by Houthi rebels, announced on Friday 23 August that it had rescued the crew of an oil tanker following an attack off the coast of Yemen. However, the vessel in distress now represents an “environmental risk”, AFP reported. In a statement, the Houthis said that the Sounion, a Greek-flagged vessel, “belongs to a company with links to the Israeli enemy” and that it had been “hit directly and accurately” by drones and missiles. The ship is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil. It is anchored between Eritrea and Yemen. The Houthis said that their “operations will not stop until the aggression stops”, referring to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. (SP)