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Oil slicks from missile‑hit tankers cloud Gulf as war fuels environmental disaster

The Guardian reported that oil slicks stretching across the Strait of Hormuz are now visible from space after a series of missile and sea‑mine strikes on…

By The News Engine Desk Based on reporting by The Guardian

12 Nov 2026, 08:30 IST Updated 1 hour ago 1 min read 0 views

Image accompanying the story: Oil slicks from missile‑hit tankers cloud Gulf as war fuels environmental disaster — Image: Photograph: AP · via The Guardian

The Guardian reported that oil slicks stretching across the Strait of Hormuz are now visible from space after a series of missile and sea‑mine strikes on oil tankers. Since the US war on Iran began in February, there have been hundreds of oil spills, posing a ‘generational’ threat to wildlife.

Throughout October, the waterway saw tankers struck, spilling crude that has spread across the Gulf, contaminating coastlines and threatening lasting damage to marine ecosystems that host dolphins, sea turtles and countless species of fish. The publication described the situation as turning "one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes" into a battlefield and the centre of a growing environmental disaster.

Eight months into the conflict, the visible dark slicks underscore how the hostilities are reshaping the region’s natural environment, turning commercial routes into sources of pollution that could affect the Gulf for years.