Oil Spills Off Oman Threaten Potential Environmental Disaster in Gulf
A potential environmental disaster is unfolding in the Gulf due to two oil spills off Oman. The first spill occurred near Dolphin-Shaped Island, where a dark, bubbling liquid was spotted washing ashore on Qeshm Island's beaches. Satellite imagery confirmed that the slick has stretched around 160 km and contains heavy fuel oil.
The second spill was spotted near Sirri Island, approximately 100 km southwest of Qeshm Island. This island is home to some Iranian offshore oil and gas production. The source of both spills is unclear, but a Liberia-flagged dry bulk ship, the Minoan Pioneer, was hit by an unknown projectile close to Oman's coast on August 3.
The Caroline Bezengi, another tanker, has been leaking Russian crude oil in a protected marine area off Oman since it grounded. This spill is estimated to be around 2,000 square km and not linked to the Iran war. The conflict between Iran and the US has complicated efforts to assess and clean up spills in the Gulf.