The “Maldives of Iran” are being flooded with oil

A European satellite has photographed the Persian Gulf and discovered that Shidvar Island is being flooded with oil.

A European satellite of the program Copernicus captured, from space, several oil spills in the Persian Gulf that advance towards protected areas, such as Shidvar Islandknown as “the Maldives of Iran”.

According to , the images obtained by the satellite Sentinel-2 from the European Space Agency (ESA), show a series of dark spots spreading across the sea following attacks on energy infrastructure in the region.

One of the main focuses is located in front of the lha de Lavanwhere oil moves in the direction of Shidwara protected coral enclave that is home to seabird colonies and turtle nesting areas. The proximity of the leak led experts to classify the situation as a ecological emergency of great magnitude.

The impact is not limited to the water surface. This event directly affects marine faunafrom microorganisms to large mammals, such as dolphins and whales.

The images also detected spots near the island of Qeshmsome with more than 8 kilometers long. This area, fundamental both ecologically and economically, largely depends on fishing, which increases the risk for those who live off marine resources.

It is known that oil, when adhering to feathers and skin, reduces the thermal insulation capacity of birds and mammalscausing hypothermia and poisoning. A similar situation occurred with the spill during the 1991 Gulf War, which caused the deaths of more than 100 thousand marine animals.

Experts also highlighted the possible impact on desalination plants, which are essential for supplying drinking water in the region. These facilities, which supply approximately 100 million peoplemay be affected if oil reaches their filtration systems.

The situation is further complicated by the presence of dozens of oil tankers trapped in the Strait of Hormuz. As long as the conflict persists, experts warn that spills could multiply and that clean-up work will not arrive in time to avoid irreversible damage.