Oil Spill Reaches Shidvar Island Sanctuary After Iran Refinery Strike

A significant oil spill has contaminated a protected wildlife sanctuary in the Persian Gulf following a strike on an Iranian oil refinery during the ongoing regional conflict. Video evidence and satellite imagery show oil-soaked waves reaching the shores of Shidvar Island, an uninhabited nature reserve, highlighting the war's escalating environmental toll.

The spill originated from an attack on a refinery located on Lavan Island, near the Iranian coast, on April 9. Mobile phone footage captured by an Iranian citizen, Ehsan Jalali, shows thick black smoke billowing from the facility. In the videos, Jalali describes a scene of severe ecological damage, noting oil-covered birds and crabs, a dead swordfish, and what he describes as dolphins surfacing in the polluted water. He states that fish corpses are visible on the surface.

Satellite photographs taken on April 10 and analyzed this week confirm the refinery fire was still burning two days after the incident. The images show a large oil slick staining the surrounding waters of the Persian Gulf, which has wrapped around Shidvar Island, also known locally as Maroo Island.

Shidvar Island is a wetland of international importance...