Leaking tanker off Omani coast is sinking deeper, satellite images show
A sanctioned oil tanker, the Caroline Bezengi, is sinking off the coast of Oman, causing a rapidly expanding oil spill in a protected marine area. Environmental experts warn that the spill has reached hundreds of square kilometers, threatening local wildlife.
Why it matters
Represents a significant environmental disaster and highlights the risks associated with 'shadow fleet' maritime operations and international sanctions.
Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show that a sanctioned tanker carrying nearly a million barrels of oil appears to be increasingly submerged in water off the coast of Oman, where it has been grounded for weeks, while leaking ever more oil into the surrounding sea.
Crude oil has been leaking and spreading quickly in recent days from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, reaching the shores of Qibliyah Island off Oman's southwest coast. By Friday (August 7, 2026) the spill was covering nearly 800 square km (309 square miles), according to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for PAX, a Dutch organisation that tracks environment in conflicts.
Greenpeace Germany has also said the spill is drastically increasing, indicating deterioration of the vessel's condition.
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