Overview
- Oman’s Environment Authority said on Monday the oil slick covers about 390–400 square kilometres and comes within roughly seven kilometres of the mainland near the Hallaniyat Islands.
- The leak is traced to the Caroline Bezengi, a sanctioned tanker that loaded Russian crude and last transmitted a public AIS signal on June 11 after the crew reported problems on June 8 that sources said followed an onboard blast.
- Omani officials have launched aerial surveillance, deployed divers and begun planning engineering responses and a possible cargo transfer to reduce pollution and protect navigation.
- Independent groups report a larger affected area — Greenpeace put the slick near 600 square kilometres — and warn the spill threatens turtle nesting beaches, Socotra cormorants, Arabian Sea humpback whales and coral reefs.
- The accident underscores hazards from ageing vessels in Russia’s so‑called shadow fleet and could raise insurance, inspection and shipping-security measures in the Gulf region as authorities race to contain the leak.