The Pentagon said on Tuesday that an oil tanker which was attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea last week is still on fire and may be leaking oil, the BBC reported.
Attempts to salvage the Greek-owned and flagged MV Sounion have been thwarted by the Houthis, who have threatened more attacks, the Pentagon added.
The ship is carrying more than 150,000 tons of crude oil, and a major spill has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history.
The Houthis claimed last week’s attack on the Sounion, saying it "belongs to a company that has ties with the Israeli enemy" and said it was "accurately and directly hit" with drones and missiles.
This past Friday, the Houthis released video footage showing the oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after their attack.
The Sounion was first hit by gunfire from two small boats last Wednesday, then struck by three unidentified projectiles, which sparked a fire and left it without engine power, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office said.
Its 25 crew members were rescued by a European warship a day later and transported to Djibouti. The oil tanker was later attacked again.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday that two tugs had been sent to salvage the stricken vessel but the Houthis had threatened to attack them as well.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza, having launched drones towards southern Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
In mid-January, with support from other countries, the US and Britain targeted just under 30 Houthi locations with 150 different weapons. They have since carried out several rounds of strikes against Houthi targets.
The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the "Zionist enemy" will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.