Iranian Vice-President Shina Ansari attributed a suspected oil spill near Kharg Island to ballast water discharged by a non-Iranian tanker, saying no leaks had been identified at the country's oil infrastructure, according to Reuters.
Between May 6 and May 8, images from the Copernicus Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-3 satellite systems revealed a discoloration in the water — appearing as a grey and white band — spread across an area to the island's west, according to Reuters. Kharg Island serves as Iran's primary oil export hub.
"Our monitoring results show that this spill was caused by the discharge of ballast water contaminated with substances from a non-Iranian tanker, and no oil leaks have been reported from (Iran's) pipelines or oil facilities," Ansari said, according to Reuters.