BEIRUT (AP) — An oil spill caused by leakage from a U.K.-sanctioned tanker grounded for weeks off Oman appears to be expanding dramatically, reaching shorelines and far out to sea, according to experts and satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press.
Greenpeace Germany said in a statement Monday that satellite images from a day earlier indicate the oil spill now covers an estimated 150 square kilometers (58 square miles), affecting large stretches of Qibliyah Island off Dhofar, Oman's largest governorate.
Compared to satellite images from a week earlier, “it is a drastic increase,” said Nina Noelle of Greenpeace Germany, who noted that clearly a large amount of crude oil is leaking. Last week, the spill's surface area was estimated at 20 square kilometers (8 square miles). It was not clear what has caused the leak to grow.
The images from Sunday showed an oil sheen spreading to the northeast from the 274-meter (899-foot) Suezmax tanker Caroline Bezengi, which is sanctioned by the U.K. for carrying oil that originates from Russia.
The affected area is part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a marine protected area and host to wildlife including endangered petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale.
Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for PAX, a Dutch organization that focuses on conflict and the environment, said the sheen is a thin layer of oil that often evaporates depending on the type of crude oil and weather conditions. Thick black patches of oil reached the southern and western shores of the island, he added.
Zwijnenburg said the oil sheen appears to be roughly 90 kilometers long (56 miles), nearly double its length a week ago.
He estimated that the tanker had been carrying over 800,000 barrels of crude oil.
The tanker has been grounded since June, according to two shipping and maritime news outlets which reported that the crew reported an explosion on board at the time. The AP was not able to independently confirm the reports.
The U.K. government said in its decision to sanction the vessel that it “has been or is likely to be involved in activity whose object or effect is to destabilize Ukraine” or to support the Russian government. The Cameroon-flagged tanker is also sanctioned by the European Union, Canada and Switzerland.
SynMax Maritime, a geospatial data tracking company, earlier said on X it obtained images in May showing the tanker at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Russia before its most recent voyage.
“This dramatic expansion (of the oil spill) underscores the serious and continuing environmental threat posed by the stranded tanker — and exemplifies the dangers associated with the practices of Russia’s shadow fleet,” Greenpeace Germany said in its statement.
It was not clear where the ship had been going when it grounded off Oman.
Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology had ordered the ship's owners to remove it and its cargo by July 23, according to the Omani Muscat Daily. It was not clear Tuesday if the owners have replied.
John Amos, CEO of the environmental nonprofit SkyTruth, agreed that the oil spill appears to be growing more severe. The oil sheen has turned a darker brown in recent days, he said, suggesting the ship is now leaking a thicker oil, possibly from a breached fuel tank.
The obscured outline of the ship also indicates the tanker may be sinking deeper into the water, Amos said. The ship is grounded on a rocky coastline and taking the full force of strong winds and waves.
Amos hasn’t seen signs of any vessel activity near the tanker that would indicate a response to the spill.
“Here we have a potential environmental disaster that nobody seems to care about in the middle of a so-called marine protected area,” Amos said. “Somebody has a financial interest in this. And where are they?”
Associated Press writer Helen Wieffering contributed from Washington.
This satellite image released by European Space Agency shows oil leaking from a grounded U.K.-sanctioned tanker near Qibliyah Island off the coast of Oman, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (European Space Agency via AP)
This satellite image released by European Space Agency shows oil leaking from a grounded U.K.-sanctioned tanker near Qibliyah Island off the coast of Oman, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (European Space Agency via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States in retaliation for Brazil’s denial of visas last month for two American diplomats who sought to visit ahead of upcoming elections as well as Brazil’s stalling on approving President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador in Brasilia.
The State Department said the decision was a reciprocal response to Brazil’s actions and officials said the step had been delayed several times to give Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva room to back down, something he did not do. Officials said, however, that it could be quickly reversed if Brazil takes appropriate action and accepts Trump’s ambassadorial choice.
Trump has had a fractious relationship for some time with Lula's administration, which has opposed him on numerous policies, particularly in the Western Hemisphere regarding Venezuela and Cuba. Their relationship also has been strained by Trump’s fondness for Lula’s first term successor and then predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest, and his son Flavio, who is Lula’s main opponent in October election.
Despite the revocation of her visa, Brazil’s ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti is not being expelled from the United States, said one State Department official, who like several others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic matter. The ambassador was previously a senior United Nations official.
She could be allowed to resume her official duties if the Brazilian government accepts Trump’s choice of former Florida House speaker Danny Perez to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil. Perez was nominated to the post in June and the official said Brazil had signaled it would not act on the appointment until after the October election.
In addition to stalling on Perez, Brazil denied visas last month for Riley Barnes, the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, and one of his top aides after reports emerged that the pair were going to criticize Lula or the election process.
The State Department denied the allegations and said the two had planned to visit Brasilia on July 27-30 to meet government officials, religious leaders and others about “election integrity,” religious freedom and freedom of expression.
It said the visit was routine and that “any insinuation of a ‘ploy’ to undermine a democratic nation’s election is a baseless lie.”
Brazil’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press about the revocation of the ambassador's visa, but last week a top Brazilian diplomat told journalists the government was expecting a response from the U.S.
The diplomat also mentioned the U.S. government had triggered the proceedings to send Perez to Brasilia before seeking Brazil’s approval, which is different from standard diplomatic procedure. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly.
Lula will face Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, whose father once served as Brazil’s president and whose family has many ties with the Trump administration, in the Oct. 4 polls. The administration has numerous issues with Lula and his policies and has also hosted the younger Bolsonaro, who is seeking to carry on his father's conservative governance.
Sen. Bolsonaro and his brother, Eduardo, visited U.S. officials in Washington, including Trump, in late May. Shortly afterward, the Trump administration classified Brazil’s biggest drug-trafficking groups — First Command Capital and Red Command — as foreign terrorist organizations, a move Lula opposes.
The Trump administration also imposed an up to 37.5% tariff hike on thousands of Brazilian exports, which came into force Friday. The U.S. government claims the South American nation has unfair competition practices and fails to stop forced labor practices — both accusations rejected by the Lula administration as an attempt to sway the election to Sen. Bolsonaro.
Jair Bolsonaro has for years fed concerns about the country’s electronic voting system, without providing any evidence for his claims. He is now serving a 27-year prison sentence at home for an attempted coup. He has long insisted that the machines, used for a quarter-century, are prone to fraud.
His son, Sen. Bolsonaro, has recently repeated some of these claims, although he steered clear of those on Saturday when his Liberal Party confirmed him as a presidential candidate in Sao Paulo.
Savarese reported from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks to supporters during the Workers' Party convention, where he was confirmed as the party's presidential candidate for the next election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
