Oil Slicks Erupt in Gulf Amid Rising Tensions Between Iran and US
A potential environmental disaster is unfolding in the Gulf region, where two slicks have appeared in Iranian waters. According to satellite imagery and video verified by Reuters, one of the slicks stretches around 160 km near Qeshm Island, a large dolphin-shaped island close to Iran's coast. The dark color in parts of the slick indicates it was heavy fuel oil.
The second slick was spotted near Sirri Island, about 100 km southwest of Qeshm and home to some Iranian offshore oil and gas production.
The Caroline Bezengi, a grounded tanker leaking Russian crude oil, has created a massive slick estimated at 2,000 square km off Oman's coast. The incident is separate from the conflict between Iran and the US but has complicated efforts to assess and clean up spills in the Gulf.