Hundreds of oil spills in Gulf threaten marine ecosystems amid ongoing war

Since the US war on Iran began, hundreds of oil spills have occurred in the Gulf and the strait of Hormuz as tankers have been struck by missiles or sea mines. Greenpeace has identified more than 500 instances of oil spills through satellite monitoring, creating a cumulative footprint of approximately 20,000 square kilometres. Environmental experts warn that the pollution poses a generational threat to marine life, including coral reefs, mangrove forests, dolphins, and sea turtles. The shallow waters of the region, already stressed by the climate crisis, lack deep cold water to buffer against rising temperatures and toxins.