The Yemeni Houthi movement has released a video purportedly showing its fighters boarding the oil tanker Sounion and detonating explosives onboard. This incident follows a previous attack on the vessel in the Red Sea earlier this month. The video was published on Thursday and raises international concerns about a potential environmental disaster, as the tanker is carrying nearly one million barrels of crude oil.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the Sounion belongs to a shipping company that they allege has “violated” the blockade imposed by the group against vessels traveling towards Israel in the Red Sea. The Houthis, who consider themselves Yemen’s armed forces, have specifically targeted ships they assert are linked to Israel as part of their efforts to pressure the Israeli government to halt the ongoing war in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 40,600 Palestinians.

The group has also begun to strike vessels associated with the United States and the United Kingdom after these countries initiated a military campaign in January aimed at stopping Houthi attacks on shipping in the region. The video includes drone footage of the exterior of the ship and a walkthrough of its cockpit, concluding with a fighter armed with an automatic weapon appearing aboard the vessel, followed by a series of explosions.

It is unclear when the video was recorded or whether it will affect efforts to tow the ship to prevent an oil spill. The Sounion was first attacked on August 22, and the crew was evacuated that same day. The European Union’s military mission in the Red Sea confirmed earlier Thursday that “multiple fires have been detected in several areas on the main deck of the vessel,” but added that the tanker remains anchored and there has been no oil spill.

“The Red Sea is not only one of the most important shipping lanes for global transport, but also a unique marine ecosystem now threatened by potential pollution,” stated the mission, known as Operation Aspides, in a social media post. The European Union plays a crucial role in facilitating the salvage of the MV Sounion.

Earlier this week, the United States confirmed that its forces in the region are also monitoring the situation, emphasizing that the tanker appears to be leaking oil. Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder reported that a third party had attempted to send two tugboats to the vessel to assist with salvaging efforts but was turned away by the Houthis. In contrast, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam stated that the group had communicated with “international parties” in order to allow the ship to be towed away.

Abdulsalam added that the attack on the Sounion demonstrates the Houthi group’s “seriousness” in enforcing their blockade against ships linked to Israel to pressure the “Zionist enemy” to stop its aggression toward Gaza. Last month, Israel targeted the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah, killing at least six people in response to a drone attack by the Houthis that killed one individual in Tel Aviv. The Houthis have vowed to retaliate for the bombing but have not launched any significant attacks against Israel in recent weeks.