Trending Now - Concerns Grow Over Oil Slicks Threatening Iran's Crude Exports

WHO:

Fox News - U.N. official Dr. Kaveh Madani expressed concerns about the oil slick.

Fox News - Jafar Pourkabgani, a lawmaker representing Bushehr province, claimed the slick was caused by foreign tankers.

The Times of India - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Washington had "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz.

WHAT:

Fox News - A second suspected oil slick was detected near Iran’s Kharg Island export hub, covering an area between 12 to 20 square kilometers.

Fox News - The larger spill, first detected on May 8, is estimated to cover about 65 square kilometers and involve tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil.

The Times of India - Satellite images showed oil spreading across an estimated 20 square miles of sea surface, with a potential loss of up to 3,000 barrels of crude.

The Times of India - Kharg Island handles roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude exports.

WHERE:

Fox News - The oil slicks are located near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.

The Times of India - The Strait of Hormuz is identified as a critical energy chokepoint carrying nearly 20 percent of global oil flows.

WHEN:

Fox News - The larger spill was first detected on May 8.

The Times of India - The U.S. naval blockade began on April 13.

WHY:

Fox News - The U.S. is tightening sanctions and increasing its naval presence near the Strait of Hormuz to curb Iran’s oil exports.

The Times of India - The blockade aims to cut Tehran’s oil revenues and restrict its regional leverage.

HOW:

Fox News - The suspected oil slick is believed to be linked to aging infrastructure, pipeline ruptures, or a "war mode" environment.

The Times of India - Iran has been forced to reactivate aging floating storage units to manage overflow due to the blockade.

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 01:31 UTC)

Concerns are rising over a significant oil slick near Iran's Kharg Island export hub, with a second suspected slick detected covering an area between 12 to 20 square kilometers. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stated that Washington maintains "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy chokepoint for nearly 20 percent of global oil flows, as the U.S. tightens sanctions and increases its naval presence to curb Iran's oil exports. Lawmaker Jafar Pourkabgani has claimed that foreign tankers are responsible for the slick, which is linked to aging infrastructure and pipeline ruptures, while Iran is now reactivating old floating storage units to manage overflow due to the ongoing blockade.