Iran is planning to sue BP PLC (BP) in international courts over alleged pollution in the Caspian Sea , a top official of the Islamic Republic was quoted as saying this week, amid continued tensions between Tehran and the West.

"Last year, southern coasts of the Caspian Sea were covered with oily patches, and in the last such case, four months ago, 25 tons were cleared from Iranian coasts," said Abdolreza Karbasi, the country's deputy head of the Department of Environment in remarks carried by Iranian news agencies.

BP operates oil and natural-gas fields in Azerbaijani waters in the Caspian, a landlocked sea which is shared by Azerbaijan , Russia , Turkmenistan , Kazakhstan and Russia .

In an e-mailed statement, a BP spokesman said the company is a "responsible operator" but referred to the Azerbaijani government for further comment. In response to the Iran report, Azerbaijani state-oil company SOCAR denied any oil spill had taken place recently.

Iran remains at loggerheads with the West over its controversial program and its own oil exports have been halved due to extensive sanctions implemented by the international community last year.
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