Oil Slicks Multiply in Gulf as Tanker Leak Threatens Environmental Disaster
A massive oil spill has erupted in the Gulf, threatening environmental disaster. A grounded tanker, the Caroline Bezengi, is leaking Russian crude oil into a protected marine area off Oman's coast, creating a slick estimated at 2,000 square kilometers.
Two new oil slicks have been detected in Iranian waters, according to satellite imagery and video verified by Reuters. One slick has appeared near Qeshm Island, the large dolphin-shaped island in the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran's coast. The dark coloration in parts of the slick indicates it is heavy fuel oil.
The Minoan Pioneer, a Liberia-flagged dry bulk ship, was hit by an unknown projectile on August 3 while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, and one seafarer went missing. The same leak likely affected Qeshm Island.