Iran's red island mystery an eerie omen in the Gulf? Rain unleashes ‘blood beaches’

Rainfall on Iran’s Hormuz Island briefly transformed the coastline of its famed Red Beach into a striking natural scene this week, as runoff flowing over the shore turned the water shades of deep red, intensifying the island’s iron-rich soil and washing it into the sea. Beyond its visual appeal, the red soil — locally known as gelak — is exported in limited quantities and used in the production of cosmetics, pigments and some traditional products. mes