Key facts
- Two oil slicks have been observed in Iranian waters, one near Qeshm Island and another near Sirri Island.
- The slicks have appeared amid ongoing tensions and attacks on vessels involving Iran and the United States.
- Satellite imagery and verified video confirm the presence of the slicks.
- A separate, large oil spill is occurring off Oman from the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi, which is leaking Russian crude oil.
- The Qeshm Island slick is suspected to originate from the dry bulk ship Minoan Pioneer, which was struck by a projectile on August 3.
- Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has indicated that a foreign bulk carrier may be the source of pollution reaching Qeshm Island.
Two oil slicks have appeared in Iranian waters, raising concerns about environmental damage in the Gulf amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Satellite imagery and verified video show one slick off the southern tip of Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, and a second near Sirri Island in the central Gulf.
The Qeshm Island slick, which appeared on August 10, is suspected to have originated from the Minoan Pioneer, a Liberia-flagged dry bulk ship that was hit by an unknown projectile near Oman's coast on August 3 in a suspected Iranian attack. A lighter diluted slick stretched around 160 km, with dark color indicating heavy fuel oil.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested a foreign bulk carrier as the source of pollution reaching Qeshm Island. Efforts to assess and clean up spills are complicated by the ongoing conflict in the region, according to Brian Barnes, a satellite oceanographer.
Separately, a potential environmental disaster is unfolding off Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, where the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi is leaking Russian crude oil in a protected marine area, creating a massive slick estimated at 2,000 square km. This incident is not linked to the Iran war.