Satellite images show large suspected oil slick off Iran's Kharg Island
Satellite imagery reviewed by independent analysts shows a suspected oil slick spanning dozens of square kilometres near Iran's main crude export terminal at Kharg Island. The source and full extent have yet to be confirmed by Tehran.
Imagery compiled from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 missions shows a roughly 80-square-kilometre oil sheen forming northeast of the Kharg Island terminal between 7 and 9 May. Independent trackers Marine Traffic and TankerTrackers said the slick most likely originated either from a vessel incident or from shoreside terminal equipment.
Iran's national oil company NIOC has yet to comment publicly. Coming during a fragile US-Iran ceasefire, the spill carries the risk of reigniting tension in the Strait of Hormuz. Coastguard authorities in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia said regional emergency protocols would activate if the slick drifted further west toward their shores.
Kharg Island handles more than three-quarters of Iran's crude exports. Independent analysts said a slick of this size poses a serious threat to marine biodiversity and risks capping Iran's post-war export capacity. Oil prices ticked higher in thin Sunday trading on the news, with the December contract printing a modest premium.
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