DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Salvagers successfully towed a Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze for weeks after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels to a safe area without any oil spill, a European Union naval mission said Monday.
The Sounion reached waters away from Yemen as the Houthis meanwhile claimed that they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone, with video circulating online showing what appeared to be a surface-to-air missile strike and flaming wreckage strewn across the ground.
The two events show the challenges still looming for the world as it tries to mitigate a monthslong campaign by the rebels over the Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip. While the rebels allowed the Sounion to be moved, they continue to threaten ships moving through the Red Sea, a waterway that once saw $1 trillion in goods move through it a year.
The EU naval mission, known as Operation Aspides, issued a statement via the social platform X announcing the ship had been moved.
The Sounion “has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill,” the EU mission said. “While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, Aspides will continue to monitor the situation.”
The Houthis had no immediate comment and it wasn't clear where the vessel was, though it likely was taken north away from Yemen. Salvagers still need to offload some 1 million barrels of crude oil aboard the Sounion, which officials feared could leak into the Red Sea, killing marine life and damaging corals in the waterway.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said it was aware of the Houthis' claimed downing of a drone over the country's southwestern Dhamar province, without elaborating.
The Houthis have exaggerated claims in the past in their ongoing campaign targeting shipping in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war. However, the online video bolstered the claim, particularly after two recent claims by the Houthis included no evidence.
Other videos showed armed rebels gathered around the flaming wreckage, a propeller similar to those used by the armed drone visible in the flames. One attempted to pick up a piece of the metal before dropping it due to the heat. The Houthis later aired their own footage of the shootdown and debris.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, identified the drone as an MQ-9, without elaborating on how he came to the determination. He said it was the third downed by the group in a week, though the other two claims did not include similar video or other evidence. The U.S. military similarly has not acknowledged losing any aircraft.
Saree said the Houthis used a locally produced missile. However, Iran has armed the rebels with a surface-to-air missile known as the 358 for years. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments heading to Yemen despite a United Nations arms embargo.
Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The aircraft have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA over Yemen for years.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
The Houthis also published footage Monday of what they have claimed was a hypersonic missile that they used to attack Israel on Sunday. The rebels described it as a two-stage, solid-fuel missile with a range of 2,150 kilometers (1,335 miles).
Israel's military has dismissed the claim the missile was hypersonic, a term referring to missiles that are maneuverable and also move at speeds multiple times the speed of sound when they re-enter the atmosphere from space.
Parts of the missile landed in an open area in central Israel and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, but injured no one. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to retaliate over the attack the Houthis launched with the Palestine 2 missile.
Asked if the missile was hypersonic, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said officials “assess this to be a ballistic missile,” without elaborating.
“I think it’s fair to say that the Houthis are still continuing to see support from Iran,” Singh added. “I think it’s fair to say that Iran continues to back their groups, whether that be through financial means or in tangible capabilities. We continue to do our job in disrupting their capability ... whether it be dynamic strikes or protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.”
This photo released by the European Union’s Operation Aspides shows warships attached to the mission escorting salvage ships in the Red Sea on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. A new attempt has begun to try to salvage an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, a European Union naval mission said Saturday. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP)
This photo released by the European Union’s Operation Aspides shows warships attached to the mission escorting salvage ships in the Red Sea on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. A new attempt has begun to try to salvage an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, a European Union naval mission said Saturday. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP)
This photo released by the European Union's Operation Aspides naval force shows the oil tanker Sounion burning in the Red Sea following a series of attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, on Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP)
In this photo released of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, the EU naval mission working in the Red Sea, on the X-platform formerly known as Twitter, on Sept. 16, 2024, the Greek-flagged oil tanker MV-Sounion, left, is towed. Salvagers successfully towed a Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze for weeks after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels to a safe area without any oil spill, a European Union naval mission said Monday. (EUNAFOR ASPIDES via AP)
