Oil pollution on the southern shores of Qeshm Island, which has also reached the island’s mangrove forests, has heightened concerns about environmental consequences on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz, as an oil leak from a stranded tanker has also reached the coast of Oman.
Officials from the Iranian regime have not yet officially announced the source of the Qeshm pollution, but Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says preliminary evidence indicates it originated from “a foreign bulk carrier.”
Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian regime’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on the evening of Wednesday, August 12, that pollution had been detected at three coastal locations and across parts of the sea surface, and that it had drifted from the Persian Gulf toward the shore.
Maritime Blockade is Worse Than War, President of Iran-China Chamber of Commerce Warns
Without naming the vessel, he said preliminary evidence suggests the pollution came from “a foreign bulk carrier” and added that all parties benefiting from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are “responsible for compensating for the environmental damage inflicted on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”
The head of Qeshm’s Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management said determining the exact source of the pollution depends on expert investigations and the final assessment of reports from the responsible authorities.
However, the ship-tracking website TankerTrackers has claimed the pollution is most likely linked to Iran’s attack on the cargo ship Minoan Pioneer on August 3 in Omani waters, and that the oil slick subsequently drifted with the current through the Strait of Hormuz to Iran’s shores.
Earlier, the state-run IRNA news agency reported that some of the oil slick had entered the mangrove forests along Qeshm’s southern coast, and that monitoring and cleanup operations had begun to prevent the pollution from spreading further.
Mangrove forests are among Iran’s most important coastal ecosystems and play a vital role in preserving biodiversity, maintaining shoreline stability, and providing habitat for marine life and birds.
Oil leak reaches Oman’s coast
At the same time, Agence France-Presse reported that an oil leak from a tanker that has been stranded since June 30 after being damaged in explosions near Yemen’s coast has now reached Oman’s shores.
The International Maritime Organization said it is closely monitoring the leak, while monsoon winds have delayed access to the vessel and efforts to contain the pollution.
According to Omani officials, the oil slick now covers at least 390 square kilometers and has contaminated part of the coastline in the Ras Madrakah area. They also warned that the southern shores of Masirah Island may be affected. The spill threatens the Hallaniyat Marine Protected Area, which is home to valuable marine species, including rare sea turtles.
Omani authorities have not yet announced the cause of the oil leak, but the British maritime security company Vanguard said the tanker had been targeted near Yemen’s coast in June.
The tanker, which was carrying about one million barrels of crude oil, is reportedly part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to circumvent Western oil sanctions.
Hormozgan’s coastline had already experienced extensive oil pollution earlier this spring. Environmental officials said at the time that the contamination resulted from an attack on the Lavan oil refinery during the 40-day war, and that oil had reached the shores of Qeshm, Larak, Hengam, and Hormuz islands.
