War in the Middle East: an oil spill detected off the island of Kharg, the main oil terminal…

According to images analyzed by the specialist firm Orbital EOS, the slick extended over more than 50 km² on Thursday and “more than 3,000 barrels of oil” could be found at sea, according to the New York Times.

An oil slick was detected in the Gulf off the Iranian island of Kharg, the country’s main oil terminal, according to satellite images released this Friday, May 8 by the CEOBS observatory.

According to this organization based in the United Kingdom, this is one of the largest oil slicks spotted in the Gulf since the start of the Israeli-American offensive against Iran on February 28.

The origin of this oil spill is not known, added the CEOBS (Conflict and Environment Observatory) on the X network.

“More than 3,000 barrels of oil” at sea

According to the New York Times, the slick extended over more than 50 km² on Thursday, according to satellite images analyzed by the specialist firm Orbital EOS. According to the American daily, “more than 3,000 barrels of oil” could be found at sea.

The island of Kharg, located in the north of the Gulf, is the main Iranian oil terminal, through which 90% of the Islamic Republic’s crude normally passes. At the end of March, American President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the island of Kharg if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz to navigation.

Hundreds of ships, including oil tankers, are stuck in the Gulf following this blockage, coupled with an American blockade of Iranian ports.

According to CEOBS, the oil slick is drifting south and “it appears unlikely that it will be dealt with appropriately.” Kharg Island is a small strip of scrubby land located about 30 kilometers from the Iranian coast and more than 500 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz.