At a press briefing on Monday, Esmaeil Baqaei rejected Western media reports alleging a visible oil slick near Kharg Island and claims that Iran discharged oil into the water because its storage capacity was full. “This is an absolute lie,” he said. “We are very worried about harm to the marine environment in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. The history of environmental damage in these waters goes back to the US military presence and the numerous wars imposed on the region.”

He said environmental protection is a shared demand of Iran, neighboring countries and the international community. He added that one reason Iran supports a management mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz is to ensure protection of the marine environment and repair damage caused by “the war imposed by the United States and the Israeli regime.” He reiterated that reports of an oil spill were fabricated.

Addressing US sanctions on Iraq’s deputy oil minister over allegations of assisting Iran’s oil sales, Baqaei said the question should be directed at Washington. He criticized the US for “openly accusing officials of other countries” in ways he said violate international law and the UN Charter. He added that the Iraqi government and officials will respond in whatever way they deem appropriate.