Key facts
- Sharjah's media office said the emirate's beaches and marine environment are safe for public use.
- Beaches in Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain had been closed after the spill spread along the northern UAE coast.
- Ambrey said a merchant vessel was hit by an unknown projectile northwest of Ras Al Khaimah on November 11, causing an engine-room fire.
- No injuries or pollution were reported at the time of the November 11 strike, Ambrey said.
- October recorded the highest number of attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters since the conflict began, per the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
- No shutdowns of Gulf desalination facilities have been reported despite concerns about the spill's impact.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates' Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah emirates said on November 12 that they had reopened several beaches following closures prompted by an oil spill from a tanker damaged in a suspected attack in the Gulf the previous month.
Sharjah's media office said the beaches reopened after authorities brought pollution caused by the spill under control. "The relevant authorities confirm that the emirate's beaches and marine environment are safe, allowing the public to visit and enjoy various marine activities safely," it said.
The spill spread along parts of the UAE's northern coastline and had prompted authorities to close beaches in Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain over concerns about environmental contamination.
The spill has drawn attention to environmental risks from attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in February. October saw the highest number of attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters since the conflict began, according to data compiled by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
In a separate incident, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Thursday that a merchant vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile about 14 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah the previous day. The strike caused a fire in the vessel's engine room, but no injuries or pollution were reported at the time, Ambrey said.