Iran’s Oil Terminals Company on Sunday rejected reports of an oil leak near Kharg Island, according to Reuters.
The statement came after satellite imagery released earlier this week seemed to show a vast slick west of the Gulf-based hub that handles most of the country’s crude exports.
The company’s chief executive revealed that inspections of storage tanks, pipelines, loading facilities and tankers operating near Kharg Island had uncovered no evidence of any leak.
Moreover, the Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Center (MEMAC), the regional body overseeing marine pollution incidents, had detected no signs of leakage in the area.
The official further noted that Iranian teams carried out field inspections and laboratory analyses after the release of these reports but failed to detect “even the slightest trace” of any leakage.
Such reports came at a crucial time as tensions are mounting in the Middle East following the war in Iran.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The adversaries remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran tightens its control over maritime traffic while the United States continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports.
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