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Satellite images have reportedly shown an oil slick spreading off the coast of Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil export terminal for the Islamic republic.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the apparent spill, which appeared off the western coast of the small Gulf island.
Orbital EOS, an organisation that monitors oil spills, told The New York Times that the slick covered more than 20 square miles, equivalent to about 52 square kilometres, as of Thursday.
The Conflict and Environment Observatory, a non-governmental organisation, stated on X that the “original source remains unclear, meanwhile it’s drifting south and seems unlikely to be addressed appropriately.”
Kharg Island plays a central role in Iran’s oil export operations and remains vital to the country’s struggling economy. The island lies off Iran’s Gulf coast, several hundred kilometres northwest of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran largely shut the strait after the outbreak of its conflict with the United States and Israel on February 28. The United States later imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, leaving many oil tankers stranded in the region.
Kharg Island hosts Iran’s largest oil terminal, alongside key infrastructure including pipelines, storage facilities and export installations.
