Iran calls for compensation after Hormuz oil spill

Iran has expressed concern over environmental damage in the Strait of Hormuz following an oil spill that reached its southern Qeshm island. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that all parties benefiting from commercial shipping through the strategic waterway have both a legal and moral duty to address the environmental harm inflicted.

Preliminary evidence suggests a foreign bulk carrier may be responsible for the spill, which originated from an Iranian attack on the Minoan Pioneer bulk carrier in Omani waters on August 3. The spill has degraded the waters of the Gulf and Sea of Oman and has affected about 32,000 square meters of coastal area along with 90,000 square meters of water.

Iran's head of the environmental protection department, Habib Masihi, noted that such spills have caused trillions of dollars in damage to Iran's coastal areas in recent decades. Sheena Ansari, head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organisation, questioned whether responsibility for compensating for the damage lies with the countries consuming energy exports from the region or with the aggressors who have transformed the area into a staging ground for military operations.

Iran has controlled the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, blocking the passage of ships carrying energy exports from US-allied Gulf countries. The country plans to charge navigational fees from passing vessels to fund services, including environmental protection, a proposal met with opposition from the US and some regional countries.