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Satellite images show the difficult mission to save a stricken oil tanker in the Red Sea

An overview of the Sounion with a salvage tug and support vessels in the Red Sea.

A French warship sails near the Sounion during the salvage operation.

“The completion of this phase of the salvage operation is the result of a comprehensive approach and close cooperation between all stakeholders committed to prevent an environmental disaster affecting the whole region,” Aspides said on Monday.

Another satellite image that was captured by BlackSky on Saturday shows a different view of the salvage operation, including several unidentified vessels and a Greek warship operating nearby, underscoring the European security efforts.

The MV Sounion is seen on fire in the Red Sea on September 9.

An initial attempt to salvage the Sounion was unsuccessful in early September, falling through over safety concerns.

Rear Adm. Vasileios Gryparis, the operational commander of Aspides, told BI earlier this month that a successful salvage mission required meeting safety, technical, environmental, and weather considerations.

He said at the time that among the challenges impacting the salvage mission were the fires onboard the Sounion and plans to transfer the oil from the vessel to another tanker.

The Houthis have struck a number of vessels with missiles and drones since the Iran-backed rebels started attacking merchant shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden last fall.

US and European naval forces have intercepted many of the Houthis’ weapons, while others have failed to reach their targets or were destroyed in Yemen before launch by the Western forces, but attacks still sometimes get through.

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https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-images-show-difficult-mission-save-stricken-red-sea-tanker-2024-9