Major oil spills are spreading across waters near Iran and Oman, adding an environmental crisis to an already volatile region.
Satellite imagery has revealed oil pollution near Iran’s Qeshm Island, where contamination has reached beaches and environmentally sensitive areas. The slick is believed to be linked to the Minoan Pioneer, a bulk carrier damaged near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month, although the precise cause has not been independently established.
A separate and potentially much larger disaster is unfolding off Oman, where the Caroline Bezengi has been leaking Russian crude after running aground. The tanker was carrying an estimated 800,000 barrels of oil, while estimates of the resulting slick have reached as high as 2,000 square kilometres. Oil has already reached Oman’s coastline and threatens a protected marine area.
Iran, meanwhile, is demanding compensation for environmental damage, with officials raising the prospect of claims potentially running into trillions of dollars.
The incidents illustrate the growing environmental consequences of instability around one of the world’s most important oil-producing and shipping regions.
Source
Euronews — Iran claims ‘trillion-dollar’ pollution damage as Gulf oil spills spread