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A second suspected oil spill has been found near a shipping facility on the Iranian island of Kharg, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI, raising fears of an environmental disaster as a major spill identified on May 8 continues toward Saudi Arabian waters.
The alleged shock comes as UN officials warned on Sunday that an oil spill in the region could cause an environmental disaster amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.
“A possible oil spill was discovered today at 11 a.m.,” Windward told Fox News Digital. The visible surface area, according to the firm, was between 12 and 20 square kilometers.
Tehran has pointed to foreign vessels, but maritime experts say the massive slick – estimated at tens of thousands of barrels and covering about 65 square kilometers, according to the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health – may be linked to dilapidated infrastructure, pipeline bursts or a “war zone” that has threatened the waterway since February.
IRAN THREATS MORE ‘WATER WAR’ ON KEY INVESTMENTS BY DAYS, UN WARNS
A suspected oil spill that covered dozens of square kilometers of sea near Iran’s largest oil field on Kharg Island was seen in satellite imagery this week. (Reuters)
“We must be concerned about the cause of this deception and monitor things carefully to see if there is anything new,” UN official Dr. Kaveh Madani told Fox News Digital.
“If this dispersion becomes large, we should be more concerned about the leakage of the aging infrastructure,” said Madani, adding that “it is moving towards the southwest of the island.”
“We have to see how it moves and if it approaches people’s areas. If it does, desalination operations should also be stopped. The risk is low right now,” he said.
Madani also noted that the slick is close to an area with many pipelines and energy infrastructure.
“Keeping these infrastructure systems healthy and functioning has become very difficult for the Iranian people even in peacetime because of the sanctions,” he said, warning that amid the conflict, “a great danger could occur.”
The distribution of water in the Persian Gulf is slow, which means pollution could continue for a long time, he added.
“We saw similar incidents during the Gulf wars and the Iran-Iraq War, these things affect coastal communities, the fishing industry, marine life and the consumption of desalination plants,” he said.
BEFORE AND AFTER SATELLITE IMAGES PROVIDE SNAP VIEW OF DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN
A satellite view shows Kharg Island located in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2024)
A larger spill, visible on satellite images as a gray and white slick, was first detected west of Kharg Island, Windward AI reported on May 8, and has been moving slowly.
“They are believed to be crude rather than bunker fuel and are unlikely to have come off the ship, possibly from pipeline problems or failed ship-to-ship transfers,” the company said.
The spill could pass through Qatar’s exclusive economic zone within four days, with a potential spill near Al Mirfa in the United Arab Emirates in about 13 days, according to Windward.
The incident comes as Washington is ramping up its “Economic Fury,” tightening sanctions and increasing its military presence near the Strait of Hormuz to curb oil exports to Iran.
Since Iran closed the road in late February following an outbreak of conflict, tankers have been at a standstill across the region as the key oil chokepoint remains largely closed.
“We also know that there are many tanks in the area, so there are many chances that they will be accidentally spilled,” said Madani.
US EYES ON IRAN’S OIL LIFE — BUT STILL NOT COSTING TEHRAN
A second suspected oil spill near Iran’s Kharg Island is raising environmental fears as a major spill heads into Gulf waters and officials warn aging infrastructure, conflicts and overcrowding of tankers could exacerbate the threat. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
“As long as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains and the region is in a state of war, the environment will not be a priority, but monitoring the behavior of tankers will not be trivial,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jafar Pourkabgani, a legislator representing Bushehr province, said the mess was caused by “oil residues and waste water from European tankers” dumped into the sea.
“This claim is false and part of the enemy’s psychological operation,” he wrote in X, referring to the accusations issued by Iran over the tank load.
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Iran’s Oil Terminals Company also denied reports of a leak near Kharg Island, according to Reuters.
The company’s chief executive said on Sunday that tests found no evidence of leaks in tanks, pipelines, loading bays or nearby tanks.
