Satellite images show an oil slick off Iran’s Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf

Why is Kharg Island important?

Kharg Island is Iran’s primary crude oil export terminal, and reports say it normally handles about 90% of the country’s crude exports, making any disruption there important for Iran’s energy trade La Liberté,Le Figaro.fr,La Presse.ca.

Do reports say what caused the spill?

No. Multiple reports said the exact cause remained unclear at the time of publication NDTV,NYT,BFMTV.

What could happen next?

Monitoring cited by news reports said the slick was drifting south and may not be addressed properly, so the next key questions are whether it is contained and whether it spreads into a wider area of Gulf waters NDTV,RTBF.