Major oil spill hits Iran's coast after ship attack
Large oil pollution reached the coast of the Iranian island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz. Preliminary data suggests the source of the spill could be the Minoan Pioneer, a bulk carrier damaged in early August while passing through the strait near the coast of Oman, BBC reports.
The oil washed onto the sandy beaches of Qeshm. The environmental protection department of Iran's Hormozgan province reported that the pollution affected about eight acres of coastline, roughly 3.2 hectares. Another 22 acres, or nearly 9 hectares, are contaminated in the near-shore waters. Iranian authorities have begun cleaning the beach.
Iran has not yet officially determined the source of the pollution. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the spill is presumably linked to a foreign bulk carrier and raised the issue of compensation for environmental damage.
However, TankerTrackers.com, a shipping monitoring service, linked the oil slick to the Minoan Pioneer based on satellite images. According to their assessment, the pollution appeared after the vessel sustained damage near Oman, after which currents carried the petroleum products through the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranian coast. Satellite images showed a trail of pollution heading toward Qeshm, including near the coastal settlement of Shib Deraz.
The Minoan Pioneer is a Greek bulk carrier under the Liberian flag. In early August, the vessel was about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Oman when an unknown projectile struck it. The impact cut power in the engine room and caused a fire in the crew living quarters.
The crew managed to put out the fire and abandon ship, but after the evacuation the third engineer was found missing. The British maritime trade operations center UKMTO began an investigation into the attack's circumstances. The origin of the projectile has not been officially confirmed.
Maritime intelligence analysts noted earlier that previous strikes on commercial ships in the area have been attributed to Iran. However, that does not prove that Iranian forces attacked the Minoan Pioneer. Iran has not claimed responsibility for this incident.
The spill creates an additional environmental threat to the Qeshm area. The island's coastline includes sensitive marine and coastal ecosystems, and petroleum products are significantly harder to remove once they reach the shore: they can penetrate sand and bottom sediments and remain there for long periods.
The current pollution is one of several oil spills in the region amid continuing attacks on shipping. In July, satellite images had already revealed leaks near the Iranian island of Larak from two vessels, including the damaged tanker Kavomaleas. Those oil slicks were also drifting toward Larak and Qeshm.
Another major spill is currently being cleaned up off Oman. There oil has been leaking from the disabled tanker Caroline Bezengi, linked to Russia's "shadow fleet." This is a separate incident that is not directly connected to the pollution off Qeshm.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most hazardous areas for commercial shipping since the start of the war around Iran. Attacks on merchant vessels and a sharp drop in traffic through the strait have increased risks not only to oil and gas supply, but also to the region's maritime environment.
Source: BBC, Associated Press
