TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has confirmed that the oil slick observed near the Persian Gulf island of Kharg was due to the discharge of contaminated ballast water from a damaged tanker.

There have been different local and foreign news stories spreading and going viral about the issue on social media, raising concerns among the public, IRNA reported.

Following the observation of the oil leakage, the DOE, as the responsible organization for the protection of the country’s environment, has conducted some field, technical, and multilateral inspections and announced the results publicly.

According to the findings, the pollution was caused by a tanker discharging oily ballast water after being damaged in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz.

The DOE hereby highlights that there has been no evidence of oil leak from pipelines, oil terminal facilities, or the platforms that belong to the Iranian Offshore Oil Company.

Currently, the DOE is monitoring the pollution continuously, using satellite images, and conducting continuous field inspections by experts on the island, as well as companies operating in the region.  

Ballast water is fresh or saltwater held in the ballast tanks and cargo holds of ships. It is used to provide stability and manoeuvrability during a voyage when ships are not carrying cargo, not carrying heavy enough cargo, or when more stability is required due to rough seas.

From an environmental perspective, one should be concerned about the ballast water. The process may lead to the introduction of non-native species as well as various forms of pollution while discharging. When a ship takes on ballast water from a location, it takes indigenous living organisms and sediments to a different place, disrupts ecosystems, and leads to declines in biodiversity.

Environment remains a victim of violations of international law

United Nations experts say that beyond immediate destruction, armed conflicts disrupt ecosystems, deplete natural resources, contaminate the environment, and jeopardize the health of the planet for future generations.

The Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques (ENMOD) was adopted in 1976 to prohibit the use of environmental modification techniques as a means of warfare. In addition, Additional Protocol I (1977) to the Geneva Conventions includes two key provisions — Articles 35 and 55 — prohibiting methods or means of warfare that are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment.

However, the adequacy of these two instruments was called into question during the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War. The extensive pollution caused by the deliberate destruction of more than 600 oil wells in Kuwait, along with subsequent claims of $85 billion in environmental damage, led to growing calls to strengthen legal protections for the environment during armed conflict.

Since the start of terrorist attacks by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, numerous infrastructures — including oil storage facilities — have been targeted in acts of aggression.

A spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), speaking at a press conference in Geneva, raised concerns about the health and environmental consequences of attacks by Israel and the United States on oil depots in Iran due to the release of toxic pollutants into the air.

The spokesperson stated that these impacts raise “serious questions regarding compliance with the principles of proportionality and precaution under international humanitarian law,” emphasizing that the sites struck did not appear to have been used exclusively for military purposes.

Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), also warned that the “black rain” and “acid rain” reported in Tehran following the attacks pose real dangers to public health in Iran, according to Al Jazeera.

Public concern over the targeting or misuse of the environment during wartime first reached its peak during the Vietnam War, widely regarded as the longest war of the 20th century and a military defeat for the United States. In the U.S., the conflict gave rise to what became known as the “Vietnam Syndrome,” reflecting widespread public aversion to American military interventions abroad.

MT/MG