A second suspected oil slick has been detected near Iran’s Kharg Island export hub, according to maritime intelligence firm Strait of Hormuz crisis.
"Another possible oil spill was detected today at 11 a.m. local time," Windward told Fox News Digital. The approximate visible area, according to the firm, was between 12 to 20 square kilometers.
Tehran has pointed to foreign vessels, but maritime experts say the main slick — estimated at tens of thousands of barrels and covering about 65 square kilometers, according to the energy infrastructure.
"Keeping these infrastructure systems healthy and operational has been very hard for the Iranians even in peacetime due to sanctions," he said, warning that amid conflict, a "major accident is very likely."
Water circulation in the Persian Gulf is slow, meaning pollution can persist for extended periods, he added.
"We saw similar instances during the Gulf wars and the Iran-Iraq War, with these things impacting coastal communities, the fishing industry, marine life and even the intake of desalination plants," he said.
The larger spill, visible in satellite images as a gray-and-white slick, was first detected west of Kharg Island, Windward AI reported May 8, and has been steadily moving.
"It is believed to be crude rather than bunker fuel and unlikely to have come from a ship, possibly originating from pipeline issues or a failed ship-to-ship transfer," the firm said.
The spill could pass through Qatar’s exclusive economic zone within about four days, with possible landfall near Al Mirfa in the United Arab Emirates in roughly 13 days, according to Windward.
The incident comes as Washington ramps up "Economic Fury," tightening sanctions and increasing its naval presence near the Strait of Hormuz to curb Iran’s oil exports.
Since Iran closed the strait in late February following the outbreak of hostilities, tankers have bottlenecked across the region as the vital oil chokepoint remains largely shut.
"We also know that there are many tankers in the area, so there is a chance of an accidental spill," Madani said.
"As long as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is there and the region is in a war mode, the environment would not be a priority, but monitoring the behavior of tankers would not be trivial," he said.
Meanwhile, full storage tanks.
Iran’s Oil Terminals Company also denied reports of a leak near Kharg Island, according to Reuters.
The company’s chief executive said Sunday that inspections found no evidence of leaks from storage tanks, pipelines, loading facilities or nearby tankers.