Iran calls for compensation after Hormuz oil spill reaches Qeshm island

Iran warned on Thursday of environmental degradation in the Strait of Hormuz after an oil spill reached its southern Qeshm island, calling for compensation from those responsible.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the slick had degraded waters across the Gulf and Sea of Oman.

What caused the oil spill near Iran's Qeshm island?

Iran says preliminary evidence points to a foreign bulk carrier as the source of the spill. TankerTrackers, a US-hosted website that monitors shipping movements worldwide, said the spill instead appears to stem from an Iranian attack on the bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer in Omani waters on August 3, with the spillage drifting across the strait to Iran.

What compensation is Iran demanding over the spill?

Baqaei wrote on X that such spills have, in recent decades, imposed trillions of dollars in damage on Iran's coastal areas, calling for compensation.

"Every party that benefits from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz carries both a legal and a moral obligation to remediate the environmental harm inflicted," he said.

How much damage did the oil spill cause?

The spill reached Qeshm island but had been almost completely cleaned up by Wednesday evening, said Habib Masihi, head of the environmental protection department in Iran's southern Hormozgan province. He said about 32,000 square metres of coastal area had been affected, along with waters covering 90,000 square metres.

"The oil pollution on the southern coast of Qeshm is just one example of the widespread pollution that has destroyed the region's marine ecosystem over the past few decades," said Sheena Ansari, head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organisation. "Who is responsible for compensating for the damage? The countries consuming energy exports from our region or the aggressors who have made this region a staging ground for military operations?" she wrote on X on Thursday.

Why does Iran control the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran has maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, blocking the passage of ships carrying energy exports from US-allied Gulf countries. It has said it plans to charge navigational fees from passing vessels to fund services including environmental protection. The United States and some regional countries have opposed any such fees.

Has there been another oil spill near Oman?

The spill comes after another slick in recent days near neighbouring Oman, from a tanker that ran aground.

An AFP investigation previously found the ship had been stranded for weeks near Oman's Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions.