Major oil slick washes up on Iran coast after Hormuz ship strike
Satellite images and verified videos show the slick spread across more than 300 sq km, with analysts linking it to the Minoan Pioneer strike.
- On Tuesday, dark oil reached Qeshm Island's shores, with satellite imagery suggesting the spill originated from the Minoan Pioneer, a Liberia-flagged dry bulk carrier struck by a projectile on August 3.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei claimed preliminary evidence "indicates a foreign bulk carrier as the source," while calling for compensation from those responsible for damage to the Gulf.
- Separately, the Caroline Bezengi, a Russian shadow fleet tanker, has been leaking crude oil off Oman in a protected marine area, creating a slick some estimates put at 2,000 square km.
- Regional conflict complicates cleanup efforts, as satellite oceanographer Brian Barnes warned: "The longer that the oil is leaking into an environment, the more it can spread out and cause damage to ecosystems, coastlines."
- These incidents, including a second slick spotted near Sirri Island about 100 km southwest of Qeshm, occur amid tit-for-tat attacks between Iran and the United States that spark concerns about environmental damage to the Gulf.
31 Articles
31 Articles
In front of the Iranian island of Gheshm, a large oil carpet spreads – with consequences for mangroves, sea turtles and fishing grounds. The authorities are fighting against pollution. Greenpeace reports further oil areas in the Strait of Hormus.
Satellite images from Greenpeace show the true extent of the oil disaster off Iran – and it is far greater than officially admitted. Authorities are still questioning the cause.
After months of fighting for shipping in the Strait of Hormus, Iran is fighting against massive oil pollution in the sea near the island of Gheshm.
Iran’s waters turn black: Satellite images reveal Qeshm and Sirri Islands engulfed by huge oil slick
Satellite imagery has revealed a major oil slick spreading through waters near Iran’s Qeshm Island, raising concerns about a growing environmental crisis in the Gulf. Copernicus Sentinel-2 images captured the slick on August 10, with researchers estimating the visible trail stretched around 160 kilometres. A second slick was detected near Sirri Island on August 13, close to Iranian offshore oil and gas facilities. Dark, bubbling liquid was also …
Greenpeace points to the continuing danger of an oil spill in the Strait of Hormus.
A week after the attack, the spill had spread over a large area of the strait.
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