Satellite images revealed a large oil slick off the coast of Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub, New York Times reported.
It was not immediately clear what caused the spill located off the island’s west coast. It appeared to cover more than 52 square kilometres (20 square miles), according to an estimate by Orbital EOS, which monitors oil spills.
The suspected spill, visible in Copernicus Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-3 satellite images taken between May 6 and May 8, shows a grey and white sheen spreading over the sea west of the roughly 8-kilometre-long island. Analysts say the slick appears to cover tens of square kilometres of ocean, it reported.
Leon Moreland of the Conflict and Environment Observatory said the formation is “visually consistent with oil” and estimated its size at around 45 square kilometres. Louis Goddard of Data Desk also assessed the images as likely showing an oil spill, possibly the largest observed since the start of the ongoing U.S.–Iran–Israel conflict in the region.
Another monitoring group, Orbital EOS, estimated the spill may span more than 20 square miles (about 52 square kilometres) as of Thursday. However, the exact source of the slick remains unclear, and no active discharge was visible in later imagery.
The Conflict and Environment Observatory noted on social media that the spill’s origin is still unknown, adding that it appears to be drifting south and may not be properly contained or addressed.
Kharg Island is a critical infrastructure point, handling the vast majority of Iran’s oil exports, much of which is shipped to China.
The island has also been a focal point of regional tensions, including reported military strikes earlier in the conflict. So far, neither Iranian authorities nor the U.S. military have commented on the satellite findings.
