Live updates: Strait of Hormuz traffic remains low as world rapidly burns through oil stockpiles

As conflict in the Middle East continues to simmer, Oman is facing a new threat related to oil: its Environment Authority is warning that an oil spill from a sanctioned tanker carrying Russian crude has now reached some beaches in Ras Madrakah in the southeast of the country.

Oman said it deployed specialized teams to monitor the spill and attempt to limit its spread and potential effects. But they’ll try to do this while also facing threats from the war and the shipping blockade just hundreds of miles away in the Strait of Hormuz.

The agency said in a statement that a coastal strip of as much as 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) in length is impacted around Ras Madrakah, and that the spill is expected to reach the southern beaches of Masirah Island in the coming hours.

The island is home to rich coastal ecosystems and serves as a nesting place for several species of sea turtles. Environmental agencies have warned the spill could amount to a disaster if it continues to widen.

According to Reuters, the tanker Caroline Bezengi was carrying estimated 800,000 barrels of Russian oil when it ran aground on June 30. The vessel has been sanctioned by multiple countries as part of the crackdown on the shadow fleet of tankers used by Russia to circumvent sanctions and transport and sell oil around the world.