Satellite images reveal that a sanctioned tanker has been leaking crude oil into protected waters off the coast of Oman, with experts warning that monsoon conditions could cause the stranded vessel to break apart and worsen the spill. The incident raises environmental concerns for a sensitive marine area and highlights the risks posed by sanctioned "shadow fleet" vessels operating with limited oversight.

Images reviewed by the Associated Press show an oil sheen covering roughly 20 square kilometres (about 8 square miles) around Qibliyah Island, part of Oman's protected Hallaniyat Islands in the Dhofar region. Dark patches of crude have already reached the shoreline, and experts say the leak has worsened in recent days, with fears that rough monsoon seas could cause further structural damage to the vessel and a larger release of oil.