ByThomas Copeland, Mark Poynting and Tom SpencerBBC Verify
  • Published13 minutes ago

An oil spill from a tanker attacked near the Strait of Hormuz is spreading along the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coastline, forcing the closure of some beaches and coastal areas.

Satellite images from Monday show the beginnings of the oil spill from a ship matching the location and dimensions of Gem No.2, which was damaged between 9 and 10 October during a record surge of vessel strikes by Iran.

The slick of oil had spread more than 35km (22 miles) from the tanker by Wednesday, the satellite imagery showed.