Silent casualty of Iran War: Oil spills set to trigger historic environmental collapse in the Persian Gulf

Satellite images have captured oil spilling from tankers and facilities into the Persian Gulf, setting the stage for a major ecological disaster. Iran and the US-Israel have been engaged in a war for nearly two months now, targeting oil facilities in the Gulf and ships in the area. The liquid can be seen flowing into the sea from space. Images taken on March 18, April 2, and April 7 show huge oil spills in the Strait of Hormuz. This specific area is just near Iran's Qeshm Island, where key military and civilian infrastructure is present. On April 6, an oil trail leaving Kuwait's Port of Shuaiba was captured by satellites. A day before, Iran had targeted energy and petrochemical facilities in the Gulf countries. Another oil trail was seen leaking into the waters off Lavan Island in Iran and moving towards Shidvar Island on April 10. Known as "Iran's Maldives”, it is a protected wildlife refuge and is at risk of an environmental disaster.

Also Read: ‘Very top secret’: What was ‘gift from China’ to Iran stopped by US forces?

Oil spill in Strait of Hormuz

Since conditions continue to remain hostile in the Persian Gulf despite an indefinite ceasefire extension, things might continue to get worse for the sea and the animals, since it is highly unlikely that anyone would initiate clean-up efforts. This spells bad news for marine life and puts the creatures at risk of mass deaths. Meanwhile, the oil spill will also affect the filtering systems of desalination plants, affecting the supply of clean, drinkable water to almost 100 million people in the region, CNN reported. The outlet reported that the oil spill off Lavan Island constitutes a major environmental emergency. Wim Zwijnenburg, a project leader in humanitarian disarmament at the Dutch peace organisation PAX, said that at least five sites, including an oil refinery, have been struck by the US and Israel on Lavan Island, triggering an oil stream that threatens the uninhabited Shidvar Island. The coral island hosts seabird colonies and turtle nesting grounds.

Also Read: Monkey temporarily derails Trump's 'shoot and kill' mission in Strait of Hormuz

Marine life threatened by oil spills in Persian Gulf

Near Qeshm Island, eight-kilometre-long pools of oil are visible and have put microorganisms, dolphins and whales at serious risk of dying. Besides, the smaller fish in the region, which people depend on for food and income, are also threatened. Oil can cover marine creatures with thick sludge, which can cause hypothermia. Poisoning is the biggest risk which will lead to mass die-offs. Several turtles, whales and dugongs reside in the Persian Gulf. Experts are unsure of how much damage can occur from existing spills, as the streams could increase in the coming days as tensions between Tehran and the US continue unabated. Dialogues for a deal have failed to reach fruitful ends. Nearly 20 billion litres of crude oil are currently waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. More attacks could mean more spills, aggravating the situation.

A similar situation occurred in the Persian Gulf during the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi forces intentionally dumped 6 to 8 million barrels of crude oil into the sea. An estimated 114,000 animals, including birds, turtles, bottlenose dolphins and whales, died in the disaster.