Oil Slick Reaches UAE Coast: Beaches Shut After Tanker Strike

A spill from a tanker attacked near the Strait of Hormuz has reached the coast of the United Arab Emirates, prompting beach closures and containment work as the slick grew beyond 35 kilometers. The country's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said it had begun containment to limit environmental effects, while satellite imagery reviewed by MAIAR tracked the leak expanding rapidly between 19 October and 21 October.

The slick extends toward Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, a Key Biodiversity Area holding corals, seagrasses, saltmarshes, green turtles and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish. Eoghan Darbyshire of the Conflict and Environment Observatory called the spill's proximity to the area the "most concerning environmental angle". Prof Steve Widdicombe, director of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, said it was "inevitable that there will be an impact", while researchers said severity depends on oil volume and type, evaporation rates and clean-up effectiveness.

Timeline: 9 October, the Panama-flagged Gem No.2 was struck by an unknown projectile north of Al Jazeera Al Hamra, igniting a fire that was later extinguished, maritime intelligence firm Vanguard reported. 10 October, verified footage showed crew members on deck in lifejackets as black smoke billowed, and Iranian state media released video of a matching vessel ablaze with burning oil spilling into the sea. 11 October, the Indian consulate in Dubai said all 22 Indian crew members had been rescued.

19 October, radar imagery picked up a small leak from the vessel. 21 October, imagery reviewed by BBC Verify and MAIAR showed the slick exceeding 35 kilometers from the ship. 22 October, UAE authorities said beaches near Umm Al Quwain were affected. 23 October, verified video from Friday showed oil reaching shore and turning water black.

Gem No.2 was among a record number of ships attacked in and around the strait at the start of October. Security experts told BBC Verify the strikes were part of an Iranian effort to assert greater control over the waterway in response to the US military escorting more vessels through it, and commercial ships have come under attack from both Iranian and US forces amid conflict between the two countries.

The area has seen spills before. In August, a large oil slick reached Iran's Qeshm Island, where experts said wildlife, protected ecosystems and fishing communities were threatened.