A Hazardous Oil Tanker Has Become a Bargaining Chip in the Yemen Conflict

May 10, 2019 | Doug Weir
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In May 2018, CEOBS reported on the environmental threat posed by an ageing oil tanker moored off the Red Sea coast of Yemen. A year on, the situation remains unresolved and the vessel has now become the subject of a dispute between the Houthis, and the Yemeni government and its backers the Saudi-led coalition. The dispute has escalated during the last two months and may do so further, increasing the threat posed to the marine environment. In this blog, Doug Weir catches up on where things stand, finding that huge questions remain over how the situation can be resolved.