International Observatory: Houthi targeting of oil ships in the Red Sea "seemed intended to cause an environmental disaster"

An international observatory said that the attacks launched by the Houthi group in Yemen on oil tankers in the Red Sea created environmental threats and seemed intended to cause an environmental disaster.

The Conflict and Environment Observatory ( CEOBS ) stated in a report issued yesterday, Friday, entitled (The Environmental Costs of the Worsening Crisis in the Middle East), that the conflict that has been going on for a year in the Middle East and the long-term lack of security were one of the important factors for environmental degradation in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Israel and Yemen.

“The Houthis’ opposition to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has drawn the group into the conflict. This has focused mostly on attacks on ships in the Red Sea that the Houthis see as linked to Israel,” he added.

“The Red Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, supporting fragile coral ecosystems, while fringed mangroves support local fisheries and protect coastlines. Oil pollution has long been commonplace… but that has not stopped them (the Houthis) from attacking ships and creating new environmental threats,” he continued.

“This included the sinking of the Rubimar, which was carrying 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulphate fertiliser and heavy fuel oil; and attacks on the oil tanker Chios Leon and the Sounion – carrying 1 million barrels of oil – which appeared to be intended to cause an environmental disaster. The ship was attacked and then boarded by detonating explosives on its tanks. It was then towed to safety by tugs, still ablaze, under EU naval escort,” he added.

The Observatory explained that the Houthi attacks on ships, and directly against targets in Israel, led Israel to attack the infrastructure in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah - an important entry point for humanitarian aid. The attacks, which destroyed fuel storage areas and other environmentally hazardous facilities, caused serious pollution. Houthi military sites were also targeted by US-led naval forces, and the destruction of weapons caches and launch sites is likely to have resulted in toxic remnants of war.

He pointed out that the shift of maritime traffic to longer shipping routes led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and those resulting from the military build-up in the Red Sea were less but noticeable.

Since last November, the Iran-backed Houthi militia has been launching drone and missile attacks on cargo ships sailing in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen, claiming that this is in support of Gaza, which has been subjected to a devastating Israeli war since October 7. These attacks have negatively affected shipping, trade and global supply chains.

As a result, the United States formed a military coalition led by it, and since the beginning of this year, it has been carrying out strikes alongside Britain that it says target the Houthis’ military capabilities, in response to their attacks on cargo ships, which the Houthis responded to with attacks on American and British naval ships, considering them “military targets.”