- US-Israeli war on Iran caused multiple oil spills visible from space during 45-day conflict
- Spills threaten livelihoods of Gulf coastal communities and contaminate fish stocks
- Marine life and desalination plants face severe risks and cleanup is hindered by the ongoing conflict
The US-Israeli war on Iran, now in suspension following a delicate ceasefire, has caused multiple oil spills now visible even from space. Satellite images offer a glimpse into the destruction of the nearly 45-day war.
The spilt oil has the potential to affect the lives and livelihoods of people along the Gulf coastlines, as well as the area's abundant marine life.
One image from April 7 shows a five-mile oil spill in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran's Qeshm Island. Nina Noelle, spokesperson for Greenpeace Germany, told CNN that an Iranian vessel discharged oil at the same location after being struck by US forces.
Additional imagery recorded an oil spill near Lavan Island following reports from Iranian state media that an oil facility near the island's coast was hit by the US on April 7. Video circulated on social media and geolocated by CNN also depicts a large fire breaking out at the Iranian oil refinery.
Satellite images also showed spills just off Kuwait's coast on April 6. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that it targeted fuel and petrochemical facilities in Gulf countries, including Kuwait, that day in response to an attack on a petrochemical complex in southwestern Iran.
In the worst-case scenario, these oil spills could have repercussions for thousands of people. The environmental disaster will especially affect those living along the coast of Iran, contaminating the fish they depend on for income and food.
The spills also endanger other marine life, such as turtles, dolphins and whales, that could ingest or get trapped in the oil. They might impact the filtering systems of desalination plants, which nearly 100 million people in the region rely on for clean water.
"Oil spills can have wide-ranging impacts, affecting the entire ecosystem, from microorganisms to fish, birds, and marine turtles that depend on mangrove habitats,” said Noelle.
They are extremely difficult to clean, she said, because of “structural complexity, limited accessibility, and challenging working conditions." The continuing conflict makes the chances of getting access to the Gulf for cleanup virtually impossible.
