[54534] Controversy surrounding reports of an oil spill at the Kharg Island oil terminal
[54534] Controversy surrounding reports of an oil spill at the Kharg Island oil terminal
Official Iranian sources strongly deny international reports of a widespread oil spill on Kharg Island, while foreign agencies insist on the existence of a significant oil slick.
Official denials vs. satellite data on Kharg Island
Over the past weekend, tension rose regarding reports of an oil spill in the Persian Gulf. Vahid Online and Iran International, which are opposition media outlets, reported that Reuters and AP news agencies published satellite imagery indicating a large-scale oil slick near Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal. According to Iran International, experts estimate that about 80,000 barrels of oil have leaked into the sea since last Tuesday.
Conversely, authorities in Iran rejected the claims entirely. Abbas Assad-Rouz, CEO of the Iranian Oil Terminals Company, stated that comprehensive checks conducted by "Health, Safety and Environment" (HSE) teams and chemical laboratories found nothing. According to him, "not even the smallest instance of a leak" in infrastructure, pipelines, or tankers was found.
The official IRNA news agency, which is associated with the Iranian government's positions, even attacked the foreign reports and called them "Ja'ali" (fake). According to IRNA, the reports do not align with meteorological data, as "northwesterly winds at a speed of 20 knots" should have pushed any possible leak toward the coast, which did not happen in practice.
At the same time, reports on marginal Telegram channels such as بیرصدا موزیک جدید expanded the narrative and claimed that significant oil spills also occurred in areas near Qeshm and Lavan, while warning of a danger to 400 desalination plants that provide drinking water to millions of people in the region. However, these claims have not been verified by official sources or major international news agencies.