Two Tankers Spill Oil off the Coast of Iran

Two tankers off the coast of Larak Island are spilling oil into the waterway, according to maritime data consultancy WindWard.

One of the leaks was identified previously, and comes from the Greek-owned tanker Kavomaleas. It was hit in an IRGC attack on the south side of the strait, then captured and towed into Iranian waters.

The other leak is linked to an AIS-dark tanker, name unknown, which appears to have been in the same location since May, according to the consultancy. Both of the two oil slicks appear to be drifting towards Larak and Qeshm.

The spills are among the first significant oil releases linked to shipboard sources in the Hormuz conflict. Though Iran and the U.S. have both launched multiple attacks since the start of active hostilities, there have been no sinkings of full-size, oceangoing merchant vessels in civilian service. Many of the attacks have struck the superstructure, stack or engine room, limiting the potential for a full-scale spill.

Traffic continues to move at a low rate through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the risks. Windward identified 19 vessels moving without AIS in the waterway - a large cluster in the Iranian half of the strait, and a smaller number that SAR satellite imaging spotted in the southern, U.S.-protected lane along the Omani coast.

More strikes on shipping appear likely in the days ahead, part of the pattern of retaliatory exchanges between the U.S. and Iran.

The large-scale U.S. Air Force transport plane airbridge is back in motion between Europe and U.S.-linked air bases in the Mideast, typically a logistical step taken to prepare for escalating military operations. A larger series of American airstrikes could occur soon, President Donald Trump telegraphed in a conversation with Axios' Barak Ravid, who speaks frequently with the president.

"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump told Ravid.