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The second effort to tow the 'Sounion' to a more secure location where salvage teams can access the vessel and determine the next steps got underwaya on Sep 13. Two tugs, one of them the 'Agion Pelagos', which had sailed from Piraeus, the other the 'Panormitis', approached he tanker, being escorted by French and Greek warships. It was expected that they were joining two other commercial salvage tugs hired by the insurers for Delta Tankers, operators of the vessel. Navigational notices were posted for the Red Sea advising all vessels to remain clear of the 'Sounion' with vessels having to remain at least five nautical miles from the 'Sounion'. The advisory indicated that the operation was commencing on the afternoon of Sep 13. The ship was probably towed towards the Suez Canal. The convoy was proceeding at very slow speed. Although the cargo was unlikely to explode, the fires were still fed by the crude oil evaporating and could burn for months if not dealt with quickly. With temperatures over 400ºC recorded on board, there is the likelihood that the heat could weaken the steel structure of the ship and make it vulnerable to breaking up and releasing large amounts of oil into the sea. Reports with photos: https://www.navylookout.com/naval-forces-in-the-red-sea-undertake-salvage-operation-in-attempt-to-prevent-ecological-catastrophe/ https://maritime-executive.com/article/photos-greek-salvors-take-burning-tanker-in-tow

JWith fires still burning on the 'Sounion' as of Sep 10, the concerns were growing that the tanker could break up or explode, which would cause an environmental catastrophe in the Red Sea. After the ship was initially hit by missiles on Aug 21 and had to be abandoned by its 25 crew members. two days later, the Houthi terrorists detonated charges on the ship's deck, triggering new fires, which were still burning. If the cargo of 150,000 tons of crude oil would leak out, a spill of this magnitude could be virtually impossible to contain, contaminating vast expanses of seawater and coastline. The long-term impacts on marine biodiversity could be devastating, with oil residues potentially lingering in the environment for years or even decades. While private salvage companies had planned to tow the ship, anchored halfway between Yemen and Eritrea, they have deemed it unsafe to do so at this time, and alternative solutions were being considered. The fact thast the tanker is heavily loaded, immobilized and on fire, makes the situation extremely dangerous and unpredictable. The risk of a major environmental disaster is significant, as the ship could break up or explode at any time.. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), run by a multinational naval coalition that includes the United States and European countries, said it had not yet observed any oil spill, and that a rescue and firefighting operation was expected to begin this week. Small oil slicks whocj have been detected on some satellite images, allegedly had related to burnt oil after the explosions or coming from the engine. Report with photos: https://www.tf1info.fr/international/navire-en-feu-sounion-houthis-au-large-du-yemen-vers-une-catastrophe-environnementale-maree-noire-mer-rouge-2318831.html

The 'Sounion' is to be towed soon, the Greek Coastguard assured on Sep 12. Two tugs have left the port of Piraeus and were now near the oil tanker. The two Greek ships were accompanied by the Greek frigate 'Psara' and a French warship. The difficult towing should begin shortly in the utmost secrecy.

Salvage efforts for the 'Sounion' have remained stalled for a week with new reports that Greece as the flag state of the tanker is leading diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia exploring options. A U.S. spokesperson said it was their understanding that the vessel remains immobilized with the fires continuing, while the Department of Defense declassified drone footage of the fires. No official reason has been confirmed for the delay in the salvage attempts while several reports including the U.S. Pentagon cited ongoing safety concerns for the tugs and their crews hired for the salvage effort. A spokesperson for EUNAVFOR Aspides which was providing warships to protect the salvage effort referenced unspecified “technical issues,” with some reports saying more powerful tugs would be required to move the laden tanker. The concern is that the fires will eventually compromise the integrity of the vessel. Report with video: https://maritime-executive.com/article/talks-continue-over-tanker-burning-in-red-sea-as-u-s-releases-video

After the abandoned towing attempt of the 'Sounion', the private companies responsible for the salvage operation have concluded that the conditions were not met to conduct the operation and that it was not safe to proceed, the EU’s Operation Aspides mission said on Sep 10. Alternative solutions are now being explored by the private companies. Assets of the EU mission have been engaged in protecting the tugs involved. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC taken on the afternoon showed the 'Sounion' still ablaze. The Houthi terrorists targeted two other oil tankers traveling through the Red Sea on Sep 9. The Houthis have suggested they'll allow a salvage operation to take place, but critics say they have used the threat of an environmental disaster previously involving another oil tanker off Yemen to extract concessions from the international community.