In the past month, the airstrikes by the United States and the Israeli regime on Iran have raised serious concerns about the environmental impact on the country, especially after the attacks on civilian infrastructure like oil depots or power facilities.

Mehr News Agency reached out to Arman Khorsand, Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions at the Environmental Protection Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to discuss the ways to pursue this issue legally and examine what environmental damage it could have for our country.

The following is the full text of the interview:

For the first questions, please let us know that what measures has the Environmental Protection Organization of Iran taken to prevent or lower the environmental impacts of the attacks? 

In the name of God, thank you very much for your efforts because nowadays media is also a big part of our national defense against the savage aggression of the enemies, the two outlaw regimes that have broken all the rules of civilized society, civilized world and indeed I believe that the whole world now knows that these two regimes are the biggest threats to the peace and security of the world and to its environment.

So to start the debate and to start the issue, I have to mention that on one hand side, there is this fact that this national heroic defense that the nation of Iran is representing with its armed forces, with its leadership, with its nation who are ready on the streets every night is our national pride and glory. This is a fact, there is no doubt about it and what we are talking about the impacts of the war and aggression has nothing to do with the pride and the glory coming out of this heroic defense and this will be registered on the long history under the big book of Iranian history as a very shining paper, very shining point of our history that we stood against the apparently the biggest armies of the world and we kept our pride, we kept our influence on the Strait of Hormuz on the whole region and we showed the world that we are a nation capable of defending ourselves. And this is one part of the issue independently as a source of pride and glory.

On the other hand, every armed conflict in the world is a big threat to the environment, there is no doubt about it. And there is no doubt about it that our country, the region and the whole world are the victims of these two outlaw regimes' actions. Breaking all the rules of armed conflicts, all the rules of international environmental laws, all the rules of basic human decency and civilization. So let's start the story from months ago when the outlaw dictator of US started threatening our nation by talking about his [so-called] beautiful armadas being sent to the region that now it became topic of joke for the whole world. At that time, we know that, even the threats, even announcing threats against peace and security is also breaking the international laws and regulations. But you know our region especially and particularly the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman for years and decades, especially from 1991 from the first crisis of Iraq invading Kuwait at that time has been the subject of military operations of international forces coming to this region and these two important water areas, seas, they also have been affected deeply by the presence of international forces here, especially the ships that have been here and the damages that they could make to the whole circle of environment in the region. So we have been always examining this subject and especially before the beginning of aggression the vice president and head of the organization has sent a letter to all the ministers of environment in the region.

Especially particularly to the Arabian countries, the parties to a so-called organization which is ROPME which is supposed to protect the environment of Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, warning them about the presence of international illegal forces and their ships in the region and the damages that it can make to the environment. We have also sent letters to the Secretary General of the United Nation and the head of UNEP, United Nation environmental program, warning them about this presence and its consequences on the environment. This was the first step and also domestically we have done everything that we could make preparing for [facing] a possible act of aggression [by the enemy] and then after the beginning of the war, after this illegal, unprovoked savage aggression began against Iran, again the vice president and head of the organization have sent letters to all environmental bodies internationally, Secretary General of the United Nation, the head of UNEP and all the conventions were involved in these matters and you know that the armed conflicts does not only affect the waters or so, the impact comes on the environment in its totality. Even the wild animals, they are also affected of these air raids when the bushes, when the jungles getting hit by the bombs, there is a bush fire the wildlife is also affected, the trees are affected, the plants are affected, the air, the soil, the water, everything. And then after the savage and unprovoked attack on the oil depots around Tehran, we again started registering the damages, sending letters and registering the crime in the international bodies with the help of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our colleagues in different provinces, they also assessed and examined the consequences of the damages.

But, there is a big but here, that unfortunately with deep sorrow, we have to say that the international bodies and organizations, they failed and they failed miserably in this matter.

I'm also a teacher of international law and I have taught international law for years to my students. And what I can see as a teacher every year after the year is that what we are teaching to our students of international law becomes more and more like a funny joke when the superpowers or the so-called countries that they were supposed to protect the international peace and security, they break all the rules of civilized society, then what remains from those mechanisms? After the second world war, the people of the world, the countries, the governments, they decided to set aside a part of their sovereign rights, put it in the hands of United Nation, put it in the hands of Security Council to protect the international peace and security and they were supposed to provide the world with peace and security.

And what we are witnessing right now is that a month after this heinous crime, this act of aggression that in one example they massacred more than 160 school girls and school boys, there is no even a clear condemnation coming from those bodies.

Every year with millions of dollars the leaders of the world they gather in a so-called gathering called COP the Conference of the Parties for UNFCCC, United Nation framework for the climate change.

Where are they?

Why we do not hear any single condemnation from United Nation from the UNFCCC from UNEP from other bodies condemning these heinous crimes?

The outcome of the aggression, the US and Israeli regime aggression on Iran, according to an estimation, is equivalent to the carbon footprint of more than 60 countries. You know that this is a very very serious matter for the COP for UNFCCC to reduce the carbon footprints of the different countries, encouraging them to use less fossil fuels, encouraging them to use renewable energy, encouraging them to do different things and suddenly in the middle of these efforts what we see is that two outlaw regimes start an act of aggression that frees tons of toxic gases, carbon monoxide, black carbon, and other toxic gases into the air and with deep pain we have to say, we do not see even the courage of condemnation from UNFCCC and UNEP. 

So what are you (relevant international bodies) doing?

This reckless attacks that will affect the environment? Yeah, I have to say that what is our estimation, what we can see from the international sources, like Guardian also reflected in a report that until now what has came out from this aggression is equivalent to the carbon footprint of approximately 60 countries for a year. And you know that it's not only the depots or it's not only the power plants or refineries that attacks on them would lead to the spread of toxic gases, even targeting the houses, the targeting the buildings that we witnessed that our savage enemies they have done it openly and they are attacking civilian areas, you know the debris also releases a lot of toxic gases and also carbon into carbon monoxide into the air. So if I want to wrap up this part of my words, I have to talk clearly with those organizations that have been the recipients of our letters that if you do not do something right now, at least verbally, this is the minimum that you can do, then you can announce your end because there will not be a single other country that they can put trust in you.

The basic idea of setting aside part of your sovereign rights and investing it in other international bodies is that they are supposed to do something at the day of danger, at the day of crisis, they have to be present and what we see is a failure, an absolute failure when you do not have the courage to condemn a clear act of aggression, a clear breaking of all international rules, at least verbally, then it's very far fetched to think that they can do something actually on the ground. So as the end of my first part of statement, I have to say we have done whatever that we could do almost possible in our hands as international options, however we believe that the recipients of our actions are at the moment at least at a complete failure. But this is our duty as the government to do whatever which is possible to be done legally and we keep pursuing it, this is the right of our nation and we will not step back even a single bit from our rights. What the other party is doing, that's another story. That will remain in the history. That will be a pattern for the future of international efforts for the climate change, for everything. So I hope a little bit that we will see a bit of awakeness in those organizations.

You spoke about the pollution released after the airstrikes on general buildings or oil depots. Are there any documented or recorded instances?

Yes. Like a week ago the report made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs based on the reports coming from our organization, the Minister of Health, the Red Crescent, other organization and also the ministry of the cultural heritage, they also gathered reports about all different aspects of the war crimes committed by the two outlaw regimes of US and Zionist regime and these report was gathered and in a comprehensive manner prepared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and has been sent and registered in the United Nations as an effort. And also, the prior estimations and examination about the environmental damages has been done by our organization and has been sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and then by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to international bodies.

There will be also a continuous effort to register these reports as law cases to pursue the right of Islamic Republic of Iran to receive compensation for the damages made of course in other aspects. Other bodies of the government will follow up the matter. Environmentally, we will continue and I have to inform your audience that not only the air pollution, not only the soil pollution, not only the water pollution, but also the enemy has targeted the environmental organization infrastructures as well. Our offices in different provinces have been targeted and there have been damages. So what I have to announce to the civilized world that the nation of Iran, the people of Iran, is that they are defending the civilized world, as we know, against the two outlaw regimes that they do not have any respect for even the basic human decency and I'm not talking even about the laws of the armed conflict, I'm talking about the human decency. The minimum, even lower than minimum, that you shall not target a school, you shall not target the hospitals, environmental or Red Crescent organization. These are the basic understanding and I have to announce and I have to talk to the civilized world that you should be happy because we are defending the civilized world very strongly and very soon we will witness, all of us will witness the flee of the enemy from the region and the pride and the glory will remain for the great nation of Iran and for all the free people of the world who raised their voice against those heinous crimes and also against those two outlaw regimes.

Is it possible that the environmental consequences of these attacks spread beyond Iran's borders and reach the neighboring states?

Indeed. I think one of the phenomenons in the world that has a unique nature and does not recognize any political border is the environment and environmental matters. So for example, when a sand and dust storm starts from the deserts of Syria, it passes through Iraq and gets to Iran and goes to the Persian Gulf countries and so on. When the storm comes, it will not say oh okay this is the border of Iraq and I have to wait for a visa...it should pass. So the environment and its phenomenons, they do not recognize any political border. What comes out of the burnt oil depots of Tehran ,the consequences of those toxic gases, will not stay in Iran, it will spread in the whole region and it will spread in the whole world. What I explained about COP and its roles in the international society, you know how big and bigger gets every year, how important and more important it is every year. This is a reflection of the fact that the environment does not recognize borders and it will affect everyone. So, as I started my words with that, what these two outlaw savage uncivilized regimes of the US and Israel are doing in the region, the consequences will not stay in the borders of Islamic Republic of Iran. What they have done to the environment of Persian Gulf and the sea of Oman. The damages they have made from the bottom of the sea to the surface, to the air, to everything. Even right now you can see the consequences on the fishery industry, the pollution of the oil, of the water and everything. So definitely as you have mentioned, the consequences will not be limited to Iran only. It will be for the region, for the whole world. As I said, you know, this is a ballpark estimation that the toxic gases being released into the air is equivalent to the carbon footprint of the year of more than 60 countries. This is huge, this is insane. The experts of this matter, they know what this means. Every year, out of the UNFCCC framework, out of UNEP efforts, they're trying to minimize as much as one country's carbon footprint per year, two, three [countries]. This would be a matter of celebration if you say in one year we could reduce the carbon footprint of four or five countries. And then suddenly you see two savage spoiled systems [making such a disaster].

Let me talk to the world for one minute: You are dealing with the Epstein class regimes. You are dealing with the politicians that they've been on Epstein Island, being involved in all the heinous crimes committed.

They do not have any mercy on children. So definitely they will not have mercy on the adults, they will not have mercy on the environment. It's the time, you know, the nation of Iran is defending the civilized world as we know. And it's your duty as well. It's your national patriotic duty. It's also your universal duty to stand in as we have witnessed in the demonstration in US under No Kings demonstrations. Now even the nation of United States is standing in the face of the dictator. And what I have to mention is that the Epstein class regime, the Epstein class politicians, not only committed heinous crimes on that island, but also they continue committing heinous crimes that will affect the whole world as we know and we witness in different countries of the world. What we witness that in the heart of United States, people are demonstrating holding the flag of Islamic Republic of Iran, is a sign that the free people of the world are united. They're together. And we will fight together against the tyranny of the Epstein class politicians that endangered the human society, endangered the environment, endangered the civilized world as we know and we will win this war.

From an international legal perspective, are there any available mechanisms to pursue the environmental damage inflicted on the country during the wartime?

There are mechanisms.

It was supposed to be a mechanism as we know that the seventh chapter of the United Nations charter was the mechanism that any possible armed conflict could be legalized. And you know these two regimes, especially the regime of the United States, they damaged and they broke all those mechanisms.

Of course there are and we are using them. We will pursue the rights of Islamic Republic and its nation to pursue this, however they [will probably] miserably fail. Not only the environmental mechanism, we have witnessed the IAEA, the head of IAEA working like a puppet providing ways for those two regimes to start the act of aggression. And this is an international shame, this is an international disaster, this is an unbelievable phenomenon that the Secretary General of IAEA openly speaks about the possibility of using nuclear weapon against Iranian sites. This is madness, this is pure madness. This is beyond the worst nightmares that even the fans of conspiracy theories could imagine. So what we see in the whole international scene is that the [international] organizations, the people in charge of those of the organizations, are failing miserably one after each other. Some of them getting close to the level of crime. But still we are not setting aside any of our rights, any of our possibilities, any of our options. We're still using all of them, setting aside the fact either they are ready to do something or not. But the at least the voice of the historic heroic nation of Iran shall be heard and will be heard without any doubt.