An " immediate cessation of war " and the " restoration of maritime security " in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are at the heart of Iran's latest response to the US-proposed framework, according to the Iranian news agency ISNA, which is run primarily by university students.

According to the current proposed roadmap, negotiations at this stage remain strictly focused on mechanisms to end hostilities and resolve the regional crisis . The submission of this document is considered a crucial development in ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region and end the current military conflict.

But the clash between Iran and the West is also fueled by the environmental alarm raised over an oil slick observed off the coast of Kharg Island . The spill , initially estimated to cover around 50 square kilometers , has yet to be determined as to its origin, but there are already conflicting accusations: according to an Iranian parliamentarian, Jafar Pourkabgani, the slick was caused by "oil residue and ballast water from European tankers, which were dumped into the sea, damaging the marine environment." However, according to a UK-based environmental NGO, the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), Iranian oil infrastructure may have caused the oil spill.

The slick was first observed in recent days after oil spill monitoring company Orbital EOS analyzed satellite imagery and shared the findings with The New York Times. "Although offshore infrastructure in the wider area could be a potential source, we are currently unable to identify a definitive point of origin or attribute the spill to a specific cause," said Leon Moreland of CEOBS. Moussa Ahmadi, head of the Iranian parliament's energy committee, told ISNA news agency that "so far there has been no official report confirming" leaks from Iran's oil infrastructure due to storage capacity issues.

Some media outlets, including Fox News, have speculated that Iran's oil storage infrastructure may be under pressure due to the US naval blockade, which is hampering the country's ability to export or store crude oil. However, Representative Pourkabgani dismissed this as "falsehood." Moreland stated that "there is no clear evidence of further active spills around the island, although the previous slick is still visible as it moves southward." In any case, after calling it one of the largest oil slicks detected in the area since the start of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran on February 28, CEOB emphasized that the latest observations from space show the spill has "much reduced" from its initial extent.

(Unioneonline)

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