Iran Demands Environmental Damage from Ships Crossing the Strait of Hormuz

JAKARTA - Iran demands compensation for pollution of waters in the Persian Gulf and surrounding areas over the past decades.

"Any party that benefits from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz bears a legal and moral obligation to restore environmental damage caused to the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, quoted by CNN, Thursday, August 13.

On Wednesday, a thick layer of oil was stranded on the coast around Qeshm Island, Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz.

"This incident is just one real example of widespread pollution - both visible and hidden - that has damaged the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman and marine ecosystems in the region over the past decades, resulting in trillions of dollars in losses for the Iranian coastal region," said Baqaei.

"Who is responsible for compensating for this damage? Are the countries that consume cheap energy from exports from our region, shipping insurance companies, or the aggressor parties and their allies who have turned the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman into a venue for military operations and weapons tests that are very destructive?" he continued.

Separately, Oman's Environment Authority warned that oil spills from the sanctioned tanker - which was carrying Russian crude - had now reached a number of beaches in Ras Madrakah, the country's southeast region.