The European Union's naval mission successfully towed the Greek oil tanker, MV Delta Sounion, to safety after it was attacked by the Houthi militia group. The rescue operation, which took three days to complete, ended without incident. The tanker, carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil, was still burning at the time of the attack. The Houthis aimed to disrupt shipping lanes in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Despite the complex rescue effort, no crew members were injured, and the vessel did not leak. The threat of potential repeat attacks added to the precarious situation. The rescue operation was conducted in response to increasing Houthi attacks and insecurity in the Red Sea, a critical commercial shipping route. The Houthis, who have been targeting vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, have intensified their attacks since the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. This incident reflects the growing influence of the Houthis in northern Yemen, where they have become the de facto government with support from Iran. The successful rescue averted a potential environmental disaster, as the U.S. State Department warned that a spill from the tanker would be four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska.