“This environmental damage stems from the US military presence and the wars it has waged in the region over the past five decades,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news briefing.

“The damage caused to the environment of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is not solely linked to this war.”

He called for the United States to be held accountable, estimating the damage at “trillions of dollars.”

Smoke rises following an Israeli controlled-explosion on the village of Kfartibnit as seen from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon on July 29, 2026.(Photo by Ammar Ammar / AFP) /
Smoke rises following an Israeli controlled-explosion on the village of Kfartibnit as seen from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon on July 29, 2026.(Photo by Ammar Ammar / AFP) /. 

Last week, Iran called for compensation after an oil slick in the Strait of Hormuz reached the island of Qeshm, affecting beaches and an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest.

At the time, Baqaei cited preliminary evidence identifying “a foreign bulk carrier” as the source of the spill, which Iranian officials later said had been “completely cleaned up.”

This handout photograph taken and released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on June 16, 2026, shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaking about the agreement reached with the United States…AFP

Earlier, Omani state media reported that an oil slick from a tanker that ran aground off Oman had reached the coastline.

An AFP investigation previously found that the vessel had been stranded for weeks near Oman’s Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions.

AFP