Sanctioned Tanker Caroline Bezengi Sinking Deeper Off Oman, Leaking Nearly 1 Million Barrels and Spreading 800 km² Oil Slick

Satellite imagery reviewed by The Associated Press on August 8, 2026, shows that the Caroline Bezengi, a 247-meter sanctioned tanker carrying nearly one million barrels of crude, has become increasingly submerged off Qibliyah Island in southwest Oman, where it has been grounded for two months. Crude oil has been leaking and spreading rapidly, with an oil sheen covering approximately 800 square kilometers as of August 7, according to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert with PAX. The slick has reached the shores of Qibliyah Island, part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a marine protected area that hosts endangered petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale. Greenpeace Germany warned on August 6 of an imminent risk of an unprecedented oil disaster with devastating consequences for the region's coastlines and marine ecosystems, urging Oman to request international assistance if needed to contain the spill. The tanker's progressive submersion suggests structural failure and raises the prospect of a full cargo release if the hull breaches completely. This matters because a million-barrel spill in a marine protected area would be one of the largest environmental disasters in the region's recent history, threatening fisheries, tourism, and biodiversity that Gulf states have invested heavily in protecting. The incident also highlights the risks posed by aging, sanction-evading vessels that often lack proper insurance, maintenance, or salvage capability. If the Caroline Bezengi breaks apart, cleanup costs and environmental damage will far exceed the value of the cargo, and legal liability will be difficult to enforce given the vessel's sanctions status. The spill's timing, during an already-tense period of Hormuz disruption, compounds the operational and environmental strain on Gulf maritime infrastructure.