Hundreds of oil spills from US-Iran war, satellites reveal pollution in the Persian Gulf

The war between the United States and Iran is taking a heavy environmental toll. Hundreds of oil spills have been documented in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, threatening marine ecosystems and coastlines.

An investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian, based on satellite images, shows large oil slicks in Gulf waters. They appeared after tankers were struck by missiles or hit sea mines in recent months.

Greenpeace says more than 500 oil spills have been identified in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea since the war began on February 28. According to the organization, more than 133 attacks on oil tankers have also been recorded since the conflict began.

Adding together the areas affected by spills day by day, experts estimate the cumulative extent of the pollution at around 20,000 square kilometers, almost the size of Wales. Nina Noelle, a Greenpeace expert in responding to environmental disasters, explained this method of calculation.

One of the most serious incidents occurred in October. The supertanker Gem No 2 was struck near the coast of the United Arab Emirates, and the resulting oil slick stretched more than 35 kilometers. The pollution has also reached the coasts of Iran and Oman, including protected natural areas and important wildlife habitats.

The Strait of Hormuz is particularly valuable ecologically: its coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows support a wide variety of species. Oil can harm organisms ranging from small invertebrates to fish, birds and sea turtles. The marine food chain and coastal communities that depend on fishing are also at risk.

Bernhard Riegl, a marine biologist at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, has studied the Persian Gulf for more than 30 years. He warned that war cannot be clean, either for the people involved or for the environment in which it takes place.

Experts stress that the disappearance of slicks from the water’s surface does not mean the pollution is gone. Oil can remain for many years in marine sediments, along coastlines and in mangrove roots. According to Greenpeace, coral reefs and mangrove forests may take decades to recover, especially when oil remains in sediments.

Riegl warned that the effects of widespread oil pollution could be visible for decades. He said the damage could affect entire generations and lead to the loss of something irreplaceable.