ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (Bernama-dpa) -- Iran was on Saturday fighting a major oil spill in the Strait of Hormuz as months of war with Israel and the United States impact the key waterway, reported German news agency dpa citing news reports from the country.
Initial measures to contain the oil slick near Qeshm Island have been initiated, wrote the Etemad newspaper. Officials had previously stated that the spill had already been contained.
On Friday, the state news agency IRNA reported that 3.2 hectares of Iran's coastline and nine hectares of coastal waters were affected. Mangrove forests were said to be among the affected areas, as well as sea turtle nesting grounds.
It is assumed that the oil spill was driven ashore from the sea, although the exact cause has not yet been determined, noted Etemad.
Since the outbreak of the Iran war in February, forces of the Islamic Republic have attacked numerous cargo ships in a bid to block shipping through the strait, a crucial waterway for international trade.
The US responded with a naval blockade of Iranian vessels and also fired multiple times to disable them.
An oil slick is also spreading off the coast of Oman since the tanker Caroline Bezengi, which belongs to Russia's shadow fleet and is subject to EU sanctions, ran aground there at the end of June.
Experts believe it is in danger of breaking apart. It was initially unclear whether the spill on the Iranian coast is related to that particular tanker.
--BERNAMA-dpa