As the Iran war continues, the conflict has had wide-ranging ramifications, and now a satellite captured images from space depicting multiple oil spills in the region
12:38 ET, 21 Apr 2026Updated 13:02 ET, 21 Apr 2026
Satellite images captured from space show oil spills in the Persian Gulf due to the Iran war(Image: Sentinel-1/European Space Agency)
Oil spills in Iran are visible from space and have been caught on satellite images as U.S.-Israeli strikes target oil production facilities and infrastructure in the region.
As the two-week ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday without a deal made yet, the escalation could continue. President Donald Trump said on Monday morning that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” if no agreement is made before the deadline.
The Iran war has had major impacts on people globally. Roughly 3,375 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the war, 23 people have died in Israel, and over a dozen in Gulf Arab states, as well as 13 U.S. service members, according to authorities. The conflict has led to economic disruptions, with oil prices skyrocketing, and now environmental damage is mounting. The destruction caused by the war is shown on satellite images captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 earlier this month. One image, captured on April 7, pictures a five-mile oil spill in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran’s Qeshm Island. It comes amid reports that Trump tried to access the US nuclear launch codes – before a terrified general stopped him with a brutal 1-word response.
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Greenpeace Germany spokesperson Nina Noelle told CNN that an Iranian vessel leaked oil in the same area after being struck by U.S. forces. Another image showed an oil spill around Lavan Island after the Iranian state media reported that an oil facility near the island’s coast was struck on April 7.
Noelle told the outlet that oil spills can have significant ramifications, “affecting the entire ecosystem, from microorganisms to fish, birds, and marine turtles that depend on mangrove habitats.”
Satellite images showed oil off the coast of Kuwait on April 6(Image: Sentinel-1/European Space Agency)
Another image captured on April 6 showed oil off the coast of Kuwait. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that it attacked petrochemical plants in Kuwait on April 5, as well as facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported “severe material damage” following the Iranian drone attack, which caused fires at its units, according to Reuters.
Greenpeace’s Noelle told CNN that the oil spills in the Gulf would be extremely difficult to clean up, if at all possible, because of the “structural complexity, limited accessibility and challenging working conditions.”
What is the environmental impact of oil spills?
The looming environmental disaster caused by the Iran war has sparked global concern. On March 13, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a statement, saying, “Heavy smoke from burning oil, which includes hazardous compounds, is now being directly inhaled by people in Iran – including young children – raising serious concerns about long-term impacts on both human and environmental health.”
“Pollution from uncontrolled fires may also enter soil and water, leach into groundwater, and be absorbed by crops, contaminating food supplies,” the UNEP team continued. “Oil spills have also been reported in marine areas, further impacting the health of coastal communities.”
A satellite image captured on April 10 shows oil surrounding Iran’s Lavan Island (Image: Sentinel-1/European Space Agency)
On March 15, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, argued in an X post that the Israeli strikes on fuel depots in Tehran “violate international law and constitute ecocide.”
March 7 strikes on facilities blanketed the skies in Tehran with clouds of smoke filled with pollutants, including soot, oil particles, and sulfur dioxide. Later that day, a storm covered the city with oil-saturated rainwater.
According to the CDC, if you’re exposed to sulfur dioxide, it can cause irritation to the nose, eyes, throat, and lungs. Inhaling high levels can cause swollen lungs and difficulty breathing, and skin contact with sulfur dioxide vapor can cause irritation or burns. Long-term health effects of severe exposure may include lung damage, leading to asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
Araghchi noted the detrimental impact on the health of residents in Iran’s capital, writing, “Residents face long-term damage to their health and well-being. Contamination of soil and groundwater could have generational impacts.”
It comes amid growing concern about the president’s erratic behavior – just days ago, Trump made a disturbing sex comment on stage that stunned his audience into silence.