Iranian Regime Denies Dumping Oil Near Kharg Island but Blames European Tankers

09/05/2026

TEHRAN, May 9: An Iranian lawmaker has denied accusations that Tehran deliberately dumped oil into waters near Kharg Island after satellite images appeared to show large oil slicks surrounding the country’s main oil export hub in the Persian Gulf.

Jafar Pourkabgani, a member of Iran’s parliament representing Bushehr province, said the pollution was caused by “oil residue and ballast water waste from European tankers” discharged into the sea, rejecting reports that Iran released excess oil due to storage capacity problems.

“This claim is false and part of the enemy’s psychological operation,” Pourkabgani wrote on X, dismissing allegations linked to Iran’s oil export operations.

Satellite images published on Friday appeared to show extensive oil slicks around Kharg Island, with some reports estimating the affected area at nearly 40 square kilometers in the Persian Gulf.

Experts cited by Fox News

said the slick may be linked to operational strain within Iran’s oil export infrastructure, though they stressed that the exact cause has not been independently confirmed.

According to the report, analysts also pointed to ageing infrastructure and the use of older vessels for oil storage and transport as possible contributing factors behind the spill.

Kharg Island serves as Iran’s most important oil export terminal, handling a major share of the country’s crude shipments despite ongoing sanctions and regional tensions.