Oil Slick From Attacked Tanker RIESCO Doubles in Size

An oil spill believed to have originated from the tanker RIESCO, which was attacked by US forces on Tuesday, has doubled in size, Greenpeace Germany said, raising concerns over marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Oman. According to Greenpeace Germany's Nina Noelle, the RIESCO was among four tankers targeted in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, while another vessel was reportedly destroyed in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran's Kharg Island. The visible oil slick covered approximately 400 square kilometres (154 square miles) by Thursday, Noelle said, with satellite imagery reviewed by The Associated Press showing the pollution stretching nearly 70 kilometres (43 miles) across the sea. The spill sits between two environmentally sensitive areas: the Musandam protected area on the Omani side, which includes an important seabird breeding island, and the Hara-e Roud-e Gaz Protected Area in Iran, home to significant mangrove ecosystems. Greenpeace warned that the ongoing regional conflict could hamper an effective response to the spill, raising fears of further environmental damage should the pollution continue to spread. The incident adds to a series of tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz this week, amid heightened regional tensions.