Satellite image showing signs of crude oil spill in waters near Iran's Kharg Island [CEOBS capture]

Signs of a large-scale crude oil spill have again been detected in waters near Kharg Island, Iran's largest crude oil export hub.

The UK-based environmental group Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) announced on X (formerly Twitter) on the 12th (local time) that "a new crude oil spill has been confirmed from Iran's Kharg Island."

CEOBS explained, "This time, oil has flowed from a discharge point on the eastern coast of Kharg Island, with an oil slick approximately 5 km long extending up to 700 meters offshore."

The organization questioned whether this incident was a mere coincidence or a sign reflecting the strain on the core oil terminal, noting that similar spill cases had not been observed from this location in the past six months.

Previously, a large oil slick approximately 70 km long was discovered in waters west of Kharg Island last week.

According to images taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellite, the spilled crude oil is moving southward and gradually spreading wider.

There are also observations that the spill might be due to infrastructure damage or storage capacity issues, as Iran's crude oil exports face disruptions following the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

However, the exact cause of the spill has not yet been confirmed.

The Iranian government denied allegations of crude oil spills from its facilities or intentional oil discharge on the same day.

Reuters reported, quoting Iranian state media, that Iran's Vice President Sina Ansai stated, "Monitoring indicates that this spill resulted from a non-Iranian tanker discharging contaminated ballast water. No crude oil spills have been reported from Iranian pipelines or oil facilities."

Concerns are also growing about damage to the Persian Gulf's marine ecosystem due to the repeated crude oil spills.

Wim Zwijnenburg, a researcher studying the environmental impact of conflict at the Dutch peace organization PAX, told CNN, "Such incidents have become more frequent since the start of the conflict, adding further environmental pressure on the marine ecosystem."