UAE-owned tanker leaks some fuel off Oman following Iranian strike

Published 13 May, 2026 04:50pm 2 min read
A representational image. -- Reuteres
A representational image. -- Reuteres

A unit of ​state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Wednesday that one of ‌its tankers struck by Iranian drones last week has leaked a small amount of fuel off the coast of Oman, underscoring the ecological risks stemming from the Iran war.

Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has ​made navigating the vital shipping corridor a precarious task. Hundreds of vessels remain ​trapped in the Gulf.

ADNOC Logistics & Services said it was monitoring the situation ⁠concerning its vessel, the M.V. Barakah, and was working “closely with the relevant authorities and specialist ​response teams.”

“The ADNOC Logistics & Services vessel Barakah remains at anchor off the coast of Oman ​after being impacted by two Iranian drones on May 4,” a company spokesperson said. “A small amount of what is understood to be bunker fuel was unfortunately released as a result of the incident.”

The spokesperson did ​not say how much fuel was believed to have leaked.

At the time of the ​attack, ADNOC L&S said no crew members were injured, and the tanker was not carrying any cargo.

Oman’s Maritime ‌Security ⁠Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Aerial images from Copernicus’ Sentinel satellites on May 7 and 9 showed a white streak trailing from a vessel identified by TankerTrackers.com as the M.V. Barakah near Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.

“The white trail … is definitely consistent with ​oil and is clearly ​coming out of the ⁠tanker,” said Louis Goddard, co-founder of consultancy Data Desk, which focuses on climate and commodities.

The slick was no longer visible in more ​recent imagery, Elizabeth C. Atwood, Earth observation senior scientist at Plymouth ​Marine Laboratory, told ⁠Reuters.

Separately, last week, satellite images showed a suspected oil spill covering dozens of square kilometres of sea near Iran’s main oil hub of Kharg Island. Iran’s top environmental official said on Tuesday ⁠it was ​likely caused by a tanker dumping wastewater and not ​a leak from oil facilities.

For the latest news, follow us on Twitter @Aaj_Urdu. We are also on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.