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Cases / Oil spill · Iran · 2009–2025

Crude-oil pipeline spills into Khuzestan rivers: Karkheh 2009 and Marun 2025

Nature's voice · report
My Karkheh River was contaminated over about 90 km in February 2009, and the water supply of four towns was cut, according to Radio Farda; a second report gave more than 100 km.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record. Disputed
Recorded
  • My Marun River carried crude from a ruptured line in May 2025; plants, wildlife, birds and fish were affected for kilometres downstream, according to Aftab News. Aftab News
  • Activists said leaks had recurred at the same point on my Marun for about a year, according to Aftab News. Aftab News
  • About 90 km of my rivers were polluted.
    Karkheh heavily contaminated (Radio Farda, 3 March 2009); more than 100 km in a second report of 15 March 2009.
  • Roughly 10,000 barrels of oil entered my waters.
    Head of the Department of Environment, Karkheh.
What the record lacks: 4 none on record · 1 not disclosed · 5 disputed · 1 unclear See the gaps
Accounts of the harm differ
Volume spilled into the Karkheh
  • Government and regulators Fatemeh Vaez Javadi, head of the Department of Environment (3 March 2009): Roughly 10,000 barrels. Radio Farda
  • Press and investigations Radio Farda (15 March 2009): Printed an estimate attributed to Mohsen Rezaei as '6000 thousand barrels'. Radio Farda

A pipeline rupture in February 2009 contaminated about 90 to more than 100 km of the Karkheh River and cut drinking-water supply to several towns; the Department of Environment said the Oil Ministry would not be fined. In May 2025 a crude line crossing the Marun River ruptured, and the Khuzestan Department of Environment demanded repairs and compensation from the National Iranian South Oil Company.

90 to more than 100 kmRiver length contaminated, Karkheh, February 2009
Two Radio Farda reports; the head of the Department of Environment gave roughly 10,000 barrels spilled.

Status As of 29 May 2025: the Khuzestan Department of Environment had demanded repairs, a flaring-reduction plan and compensation from NISOC and warned of judicial action; no court outcome was on record for either spill.

What?
Pipelines of state oil companies ruptured at the Karkheh River in February 2009 and the Marun River in May 2025, contaminating rivers used for drinking water; the Department of Environment said no fine would be imposed for the Karkheh spill. Radio Farda
Where?
Karkheh River near Shush (about 32.2 N, 48.25 E) and Marun River near Omidiyeh (Jaizan; about 30.75 N, 49.7 E), Khuzestan. Aftab News
When?
Karkheh rupture on 19 February 2009; Marun rupture about 25 May 2025; Department of Environment warning to NISOC on 29 May 2025. Mehr News Agency
Who?
Gained
  • Ministry of Oil — Not to be fined for the Karkheh spill, according to the head of the Department of Environment Radio Farda
Lost
  • National Iranian Oil Company — To compensate people harmed by the Karkheh spill, according to the Khuzestan governorate Radio Farda
Harmed
  • Karkheh River — About 90 to more than 100 km contaminated Radio Farda
  • Residents of Shush, Dasht-e Azadegan, Hamidiyeh and Hoveyzeh — Water supply cut in 2009 Radio Farda
  • Marun River wildlife and plants — Plants, wildlife, birds and fish affected in 2025 Aftab News
Why?
The Behbahan office attributed the Marun rupture to a corroded valve; a local association said the company made only temporary repairs despite repeated warnings. Aftab News
How?
The Department of Environment can require plans, repairs and compensation and warn of judicial action; for the Karkheh the Prosecutor-General issued a warning and the department said it would not sue. Mehr News Agency
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

On 1 Esfand 1387 (19 February 2009) the Cheshmeh Khosh–Ahvaz pipeline ruptured at the Karkheh River near Shush in Khuzestan. Radio Farda reported on 3 March 2009 that about 90 km of the river was heavily contaminated, that the head of the Department of Environment, Fatemeh Vaez Javadi, gave the spill as roughly 10,000 barrels, and that water supply to Shush, Dasht-e Azadegan, Hamidiyeh and Hoveyzeh was cut. A second report on 15 March 2009 gave more than 100 km of river contaminated and printed an estimate attributed to Mohsen Rezaei as '6000 thousand barrels'.

Vaez Javadi said the Ministry of Oil would not be fined because the oil entered the river unintentionally, and the Khuzestan governorate said the National Iranian Oil Company would compensate people harmed. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Expediency Council, said 'Carelessness was the cause of the oil spill in the Karkheh' and called for the ministry to be fined. The Prosecutor-General issued a warning to the Oil Ministry over the pollution and warned the Khuzestan prosecutor over delay in filing complaints; the Department of Environment said it would not sue because it considered the spill an 'accident'. No court outcome is on record.

In about the week of 25 May 2025 a line of the Aghajari Oil and Gas Production Company crossing the Marun River near Omidiyeh ruptured. Aftab News reported on 27 May 2025 that a local environmental association said thousands of litres of crude had leaked, that the Behbahan Department of Environment office attributed it to a corroded valve, and that activists said leaks had recurred at that point for about a year. The Behbahan office described the slick as 'patchy', said cleanup took hours and soil was moved to the company's bio-farm, and said legal action to compensate damage to water, forest ecosystem and wildlife would begin after cleanup; no amount was given.

On 29 May 2025 the Khuzestan Department of Environment warned the National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC) about rising flaring and oil and gas leaks near Ahvaz and Omidiyeh, including the Marun pipeline. It required a flaring-reduction plan within 10 working days, pipeline repairs, sharing of emissions data and 'immediate measures to compensate' for damage, and warned of judicial action otherwise.

  1. 2009Cheshmeh Khosh–Ahvaz pipeline ruptures at the Karkheh (19 Feb); Radio Farda report with DoE figures (3 Mar); Prosecutor-General's warning to the Oil Ministry reported (15 Mar)
  2. 2025Marun pipeline rupture (about 25 May); Aftab News report (27 May); Khuzestan DoE demands on NISOC (29 May)

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“Carelessness was the cause of the oil spill in the Karkheh”

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Expediency Council, as quoted by Radio Farda · March 2009 · translated from Persian · Radio Farda

“immediate measures to compensate”

Khuzestan Department of Environment, in its warning to NISOC, as reported by Mehr · 29 May 2025 · translated from Persian · Mehr News Agency

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Volume spilled into the Karkheh
Government and regulators
Fatemeh Vaez Javadi, head of the Department of Environment (3 March 2009)

Roughly 10,000 barrels.

Radio Farda
Press and investigations
Radio Farda (15 March 2009)

Printed an estimate attributed to Mohsen Rezaei as '6000 thousand barrels'.

Radio Farda
Whether the 2009 Karkheh spill warranted a fine or a lawsuit
Government and regulators
Department of Environment (2009)

The Ministry of Oil would not be fined because the oil entered the river unintentionally; the spill was an 'accident' and the department would not sue.

Radio Farda
Government and regulators
Mohsen Rezaei, Expediency Council (March 2009)

Carelessness was the cause; the ministry should be fined.

Radio Farda
Government and regulators
Prosecutor-General (March 2009)

Issued a warning to the Oil Ministry and warned the Khuzestan prosecutor over delay in filing complaints.

Radio Farda
Condition of the Marun line before the May 2025 rupture
Communities and civil society
A local environmental association and activists

The company made only temporary repairs despite repeated warnings; leaks had recurred at that point for about a year.

Aftab News
Government and regulators
Behbahan Department of Environment office

The rupture was due to a corroded valve; the slick was patchy and cleanup took hours.

Aftab News

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • The Ministry of Oil 'would not be fined' because the oil entered the river unintentionally; the spill was under control
    Department of Environment head Fatemeh Vaez Javadi, March 2009 · Radio Farda
  • A 'patchy' slick cleaned within hours, with soil moved to the company's bio-farm
    Behbahan Department of Environment office, May 2025 · Aftab News

Recorded

  • Karkheh, 3 March 2009: about 90 km of river heavily contaminated; roughly 10,000 barrels (DoE head); water supply to Shush, Dasht-e Azadegan, Hamidiyeh and Hoveyzeh cut.
    Radio Farda
  • Karkheh, 15 March 2009: more than 100 km contaminated; the Prosecutor-General issued a warning to the Oil Ministry and warned the Khuzestan prosecutor over delay in filing complaints.
    Radio Farda
  • Marun, 27 May 2025: plants, wildlife, birds and fish were affected and the contamination reached kilometres downstream; no measurement was published.
    Aftab News
  • Khuzestan DoE, 29 May 2025: a flaring-reduction plan due within 10 working days, pipeline repairs, emissions-data sharing and compensation measures, with judicial action warned.
    Mehr News Agency

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
Compensation or fine for damage to rivers, Karkheh 2009 or Marun 2025—
None on record; no amount was given for either spill.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Currency: USD · Window: 2009–2025. All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • iran-doe (March 2009; May 2025): In 2009 its head said the Ministry of Oil would not be fined and the spill was under control; in 2025 its Behbahan office said the slick was patchy and cleanup took hours, and its Khuzestan office warned NISOC of judicial action. · Mehr News Agency
  • nioc (March 2009): The Khuzestan governorate said in 2009 that the National Iranian Oil Company would compensate people harmed. · Radio Farda

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

  1. 2009–Outcome not on record
    Prosecutor-General's warning to the Oil Ministry over the Karkheh spill
    Office of the Prosecutor-General · Administrative · Prosecutor-General of Iran → Ministry of Oil

    Radio Farda reported on 15 March 2009 that the Prosecutor-General warned the Oil Ministry over the pollution and warned the Khuzestan prosecutor over delay in filing complaints; the Department of Environment said it would not sue. No court outcome is reported. Radio Farda

  2. 2025–Ongoing
    Khuzestan Department of Environment demands on NISOC after the Marun spill
    Department of Environment, Khuzestan · Administrative · Department of Environment, Khuzestan → National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC)

    On 29 May 2025 the department required a flaring-reduction plan within 10 working days, pipeline repairs, emissions-data sharing and immediate measures to compensate for damage, and warned of judicial action. The Behbahan office said legal action for compensation would begin after cleanup. No amount or outcome is reported. Mehr News Agency

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Karkheh contaminated, 2009
90 to 100+ km
Radio Farda, 3 and 15 March 2009
Karkheh spill volume
About 10,000 barrels
Department of Environment head, March 2009
Fine for the 2009 spill
None
The DoE head said the Ministry of Oil would not be fined
Marun spill volume, 2025
Thousands of litres
Local environmental association; no official volume published

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
No court caseNo independent ecological evaluation

Nature

  • Disputed Volume spilled into the Karkheh

Money

  • None on record Compensation or fine for damage to rivers, Karkheh 2009 or Marun 2025 — None on record; no amount was given for either spill.

Court

  • Unclear Prosecutor-General's warning to the Oil Ministry over the Karkheh spill: outcome not on record.

Accounts

  • Disputed Whether the 2009 Karkheh spill warranted a fine or a lawsuit
  • Disputed Condition of the Marun line before the May 2025 rupture

Record

  • Disputed Figures differ: the head of the Department of Environment gave roughly 10,000 barrels for the Karkheh spill; Radio Farda (15 March 2009) printed an estimate attributed to Mohsen Rezaei as '6000 thousand barrels'.
  • Disputed Figures differ: the Karkheh contamination was given as about 90 km on 3 March 2009 and as more than 100 km on 15 March 2009.
  • None on record None on record: a precise damage estimate for the Karkheh spill; the head of the Department of Environment said none had been made (March 2009).
  • Not disclosed Not disclosed: an official Marun spill volume as of 27 May 2025.
  • None on record None on record: insurance cover or payments for either spill.
  • None on record None on record: a court outcome for the Karkheh spill or for the 2025 demands on NISOC.

Did the harm stop?

In March 2009 the Department of Environment head said the Karkheh spill was under control. In May 2025 the Behbahan office said the Marun cleanup took hours, while activists said leaks had recurred at the same point for about a year.

Who paid?

None on record. For the Karkheh the Department of Environment head said the Ministry of Oil would not be fined and the Khuzestan governorate said the National Iranian Oil Company would compensate people harmed; for the Marun no amount was given.

Sources

Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

Press and investigations

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