Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has called for environmental protection to become part of any future “administration” of the Strait of Hormuz, citing oil pollution along Iran’s coast.
In a post on X, Mr Baghaei cited video footage showing oil contamination along the shores of Iran’s Qeshm island, saying preliminary evidence indicated a “foreign bulk carrier” was responsible.
He sought to frame the incident as another example of decades of environmental damage in the Gulf and questioned who should ultimately bear responsibility for compensation and environmental remediation.
But shipping monitor TankerTrackers said the spill appeared to originate from an Iranian attack on the Minoan Pioneer bulk carrier 10 days ago about 8km off the northern tip of Oman’s Musandam peninsula in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The oil spill appears to derive from the Iranian attack on bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer,” TankerTrackers said on X. “The spillage then drifted across the strait over to Iran. A self-inflicted wound by Iran.”
Iran’s Isna news agency published photos on Thursday of what it said was oil pollution on the coasts of Qeshm and Hengam islands.
