Experts will resume a risky operation this week to salvage the Sounion tanker, which was repeatedly attacked by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea last month and still contains about one million barrels of crude oil, maritime sources said on Thursday.
The towing of the 900-foot (274.2-meter) Greek-registered vessel, which was hit by multiple projectiles, lost power, and caught fire on August 21, was halted after the companies initially involved in the project deemed it unsafe.
The salvage operation will be particularly delicate, given the full load and a host of other factors, officials said.
Any spill could be one of the largest from a ship, risking catastrophic environmental damage in an area that is particularly dangerous to enter.
The Houthis - who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians caught up in the Israel-Gaza war - detonated charges on the tanker after the initial attack, causing more fires. It is unclear if any explosives are still active.