Oil Leak Sparks Concerns Near Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran-US Tensions
A massive oil leak has been discovered in the ocean near the Strait of Hormuz, adding to existing tensions between Iran and the US. The spill, which is considered a major incident by SkyTruth CEO John Amos, was detected off the southern tip of Qeshm Island in Iranian waters.
The imagery of the spill was taken on August 10 and shows a dark-colored slick stretching about 100 miles. Environmental researcher Wim Zwijnenburg noted that the dark color pointed to heavy fuel oil, which is a major concern for the environment.
According to TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani, the leak likely occurred from the Minoan Pioneer, a Liberia-flagged dry bulk carrier that was struck by an unknown projectile near Oman's coast on August 3. The same leak may have reached Qeshm Island as well.