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Old 9th May 2026 | 08:46
  #5773 (permalink)  
BonnieLass
 
Joined: May 2024
: Spotter
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From: Near SOU
Originally Posted by [email protected]
Are the Iranians really likely to mess on their own doorstep though?
The problem thay have is where do they put the oil that is coming from the wells. They can't get empty tankers into the Persian Gulf due to the USN blockade across the Gulf of Oman. They are running out of oil storage due to not being able to export it due to the lack of tankers and the damage received to their storage facilities and refineries during hostilities. They can't shut the wells down as that potentially damages them to such an extent that they cannot be reopened once hostilities have ceased, which is explained very well here Why Does It Matter if Iran Shuts In its Oil Wells? (Maritime Executive - May 6, 2026).

So, potentially opening the stopcocks on the pipelines and releasing oil could be a way of not only releasing the pressure but also a way of contaminating the sea around Kharg Island as some form of defence, perhaps....afterall oil on water will burn, hypothetically any attack on the island that falls short maybe ignites the floating slick.

Anything is possible. The environmental damage will be immense regardless of reason for the slick or who is responsible for it.
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