Iran Says Hormuz Shipping Beneficiaries Must Address Environmental Damage

TEHRAN: Iran has called on all parties benefiting from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to take legal and moral responsibility for environmental damage caused to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on X that videos of oil pollution along the shores of Qeshm Island have recently circulated online.

He said the pollution appeared to have moved from the Persian Gulf toward the coast, with initial evidence suggesting that a foreign bulk carrier may be the source. Oil pollution has reportedly been detected at three coastal locations and in parts of the sea.

Baghaei said the incident was only one example of the widespread pollution that has affected the waters of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman and the region’s marine ecosystem over several decades.

He said the pollution, including both visible and hidden damage, had caused losses worth trillions of dollars to Iran’s coastal areas.

Baghaei questioned who should be responsible for compensating for these losses, including countries benefiting from cheap energy exports from the region, shipping insurance companies, or countries and their allies involved in military activities in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

He said Iran, which has the longest coastline along the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, cannot remain indifferent to the issue.

Baghaei stressed that all parties benefiting from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have a legal and moral responsibility to compensate for environmental damage caused to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.