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The UAE Ministry of Energy announced that an oil spill off its coast, caused by a tanker that was attacked on October 9, has been contained, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The agency stated, "According to the latest field assessments, no new oil leakage from the tanker has been detected, while marine and aerial monitoring and surveillance operations continue."
It added that satellite images captured on Friday showed that the oil slick is concentrated off the coast of the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain, north of Dubai, and extends partially toward coastal areas in Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, and Sharjah.
The agency indicated that efforts to contain and treat the oil slick are still ongoing, adding that "the density of the observed pollution is witnessing a noticeable decline."
Satellite images taken on October 21 and analyzed by Agence France-Presse (AFP) showed a slick covering an area of about 180 square kilometers off Umm Al Quwain, which experts believe is oil leaked from the tanker "GEM NO.2," which was hit by a projectile explosion in the region weeks ago.
Just three days later, the slick expanded to cover an area of about 750 square kilometers, according to images dated October 24 analyzed by AFP. The slick appeared to have extended south and north toward the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, where it was 6.5 kilometers from the shore.
Since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran has almost completely restricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that ships must pass through a route it designates, and occasionally targeting those that attempt to pass without coordinating with it.
In return, Washington is imposing a blockade on Iranian ports.
On October 9, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a ship had been hit by a projectile off the coasts of the emirates of Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah.
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