A potential environmental disaster is already unfolding off the coast of Oman, far from the Strait of Hormuz, where a stranded oil tanker, the Caroline Bezengi, has run aground and released its cargo into the sea: two oil slicks covering a combined total of 2,000 square kilometres.
The conflict in the region has complicated efforts to assess and clean up the spills in the Gulf, as, according to Reuters, a vessel towed in for the clean-up operations was unable to access the area because it did not obtain authorisation from the Iranian forces.
Although the damaged tanker was not a direct consequence of the war between the United States and Iran, the conflict will only exacerbate the environmental situation in the Gulf, beyond this major oil spill, as its waters are what sustain the region's economy.