Large Oil Slick Detected West of Iran's Kharg Island

Satellite imagery has revealed a large suspected oil slick spanning dozens of square kilometers in waters west of Iran's Kharg Island, the country's primary oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf, with images captured between May 6 and 8, 2026.

The slick, appearing as a gray and white patch consistent with oil spills, covers approximately 45 square kilometers, or about 18 square miles, according to Leon Moreland, a researcher at the Conflict and Environment Observatory. Louis Goddard, co-founder of the consultancy Data Desk, described it as potentially the largest such incident since the start of the ongoing conflict between U.S. and Iranian forces around 70 days ago. Earlier estimates from Orbital EOS, a monitoring service, suggested the spill affected up to 20 square miles and involved as much as 3,000 barrels of oil. Comparisons of images from April 18 and early May showed the material spreading several kilometers across the sea surface, with newer observations indicating movement to the south or southeast.

The cause remains unknown, though experts noted multiple tankers were loading at the terminal during detection. Possible origins include loading operations, vessels,...