Oil tanker attacked by Houthis could spill 'millions of barrels' in Yemen, warns U.S.

The United States warned Saturday of a possible environmental disaster in the Red Sea after Houthi rebels attacked an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen.

The Greek-flagged Sounion was attacked on Wednesday off the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida. The Iranian-backed rebels claimed to have attacked the vessel with drones and missiles.

The UKMTO maritime agency said on Friday that three fires had been detected on the ship, while a video released by the Houthis on social media allegedly showed three explosions on the vessel.

The 898-foot-long (274m) ship had departed Iraq and was headed for a port near Athens, with 150,000 tons of crude oil on board.

"The Houthis' continued attacks threaten to spill a million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, an amount four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster," Matthew Miller of the U.S. State Department said Saturday in a statement .

The 1989 Exxon Valdez spill released 257,000 barrels along the Alaskan coast.

"While the crew has been evacuated, the Houthis appear determined to sink the ship and its cargo into the sea," Miller said.

The Sounian's crew of 23 Filipinos and two Russians was rescued by a ship from the European Union's Aspides mission.

The naval mission also warned that the unmanned vessel posed "a danger to navigation and the environment."

Houthi rebels launched a campaign against international shipping in November, proclaiming that they support Gaza in the war between Israel and Hamas.

In March, the Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated Rubymar became the first ship attacked by the Houthis to sink during the conflict.

The Rubymar sank in the Red Sea with 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer on board.

The Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned freighter Tutor also sank in June after being attacked by Houthis.

Numerous sailors have also been killed or injured in the attacks, which have caused severe disruptions toglobal shipping.

"Through these attacks, the Houthis have made clear they are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems that Yemenis and other communities in the region rely on for their livelihoods," Miller said Saturday.

"We call on the Houthis to cease these actions immediately and urge other nations to step forward to help avert this environmental disaster," he added.