Yemen urged the United Nations Security Council to hold a special session to discuss an aging oil tanker that risks leaking and causing an environmental disaster.

The condition of the Safer Oil floating oil-storage and offloading vessel in the Red Sea is deteriorating and requires urgent inspection, Foreign Minister said, according to the government-controlled Saba news agency. The facility is situated in the Red Sea off the coast of Hodiedah province, a rebel Houthi-controlled area of the country.

Al-Hadhrami urged the Security Council to take all necessary steps to force the rebels to allow an international technical team to gain access to the facility and carry out an inspection.