TEHRAN – April 30 is celebrated in Iran every year as the Persian Gulf National Day to raise awareness about its precious environmental characteristics and unique biodiversity.

Unfortunately, the US-Israeli war against Iran is posing a severe threat to the fragile marine ecosystem of the Persian Gulf, which endangers the livelihood and food security of millions of people.

The National Day is a reminder of a clear responsibility: protecting the Persian Gulf means protecting life.  

The Persian Gulf is ecologically one of the most fragile seas in the world. Its shallowness, limited water exchange, salinity, and high temperatures make any pollution and human stress have a greater impact, and the process of nature's restoration is slower.

However, this same sensitive area contains a valuable collection of key habitats: mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, seagrass meadows and coral reefs, each of which plays a vital role in water stability, carbon storage, aquatic regeneration and coastal protection. 

The presence of iconic species such as sea turtles, dolphins and migratory birds also shows that the Persian Gulf is a strategic habitat on a regional and trans-regional scale.

But today, one of the most serious threats to the Persian Gulf is the consequences of war and insecurity, a threat that can cause widespread and sometimes irreparable damage in a short period of time. 

War at sea and on the coast is not just a human conflict; it also means delivering a direct shock to a fragile ecosystem.

Explosions and fires, shipwrecks, damage to platforms and facilities, and any disruption to shipping safety increase the likelihood of large-scale oil and chemical pollution. Oil spills can cover water surfaces, reduce oxygen exchange, trap birds and aquatic life, and disrupt the food chain. 

Chemicals and fuels can also cause short- and long-term toxic effects, ranging from direct species losses to reduced reproductive success and increased disease.

The more hidden dimensions of war are no less important. In conditions of insecurity, priorities shift from protection to survival and relief. Environmental monitoring is disrupted, disaster response capacity is reduced, and opportunities for scientific and preventive management are lost. 

At the same time, destruction or damage to coastal urban and industrial infrastructure can cause untreated wastewater, waste, and various pollutants to enter the sea.

Displacement and disruption of contaminated seabed sediments by explosions or heavy vessel traffic can reactivate old contamination and carry its effects for years to come. This means that the scars of war can remain in the seabed and food chain, and are not just a momentary event.

The war also directly targets key habitats in the Persian Gulf: wetlands and beaches that provide refuge for migratory birds; mangrove forests that play a vital role in stabilizing the coast; seagrass beds that provide food and breeding grounds for aquatic life; and coral reefs that can be rendered inoperable for long periods of time by the slightest increase in turbidity, pollution, or physical damage. 

The end result is a decline in aquatic resources, damage to fisheries and natural tourism, and threats to human health through the food chain (especially when exposed to persistent pollutants).

Meanwhile, any hostile action that increases the risk of pollution, destruction, or insecurity of the marine environment will put additional pressure on the Persian Gulf ecosystem. 

Marine pollution knows no borders and its effects can affect all coastal countries; therefore, protecting the Persian Gulf is a shared necessity and a responsibility that transcends political boundaries.

For this reason, a more active involvement of international mechanisms and bodies related to the law of the sea and the protection of the marine environment is essential: independent and transparent monitoring of the consequences of war on the environment, prevention of actions that create a risk of widespread pollution, and pursuit of liability and compensation in the event of damage. 

At the same time, strengthening regional cooperation for preparedness and rapid response to pollution incidents, especially oil spills, and supporting restoration and rehabilitation programs for damaged habitats should be on the agenda.

The head of the Department of Environment (DOE), Shina Ansari, has written a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, warning that the U.S. military presence endangers biodiversity in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

“The persistence of military threats in a region with dense oil, gas, petrochemical, and maritime reserves is a factor that threatens regional and global peace, security, and the environment,” the DOE website quoted Ansari as saying.

In her letter, she noted that according to Principle 21 of the Stockholm Declaration of 1972 and Principle 2 of the Rio Declaration of 1992, states have the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. 

Therefore, any military action that results in widespread marine pollution, destruction of coastal habitats, or damage to biological diversity can be considered a violation of customary international obligations, she added.

Highlighting Article 55 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1977, she reminded that the natural environment must be protected against widespread, severe, and long-lasting damage during armed conflict. The 1976 Convention on the Prohibition of Military or any other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques (ENMOD) bans hostile use of the environment as a means of warfare.

The Persian Gulf is a national heritage and a regional asset of global value. The Persian Gulf must survive; for its biodiversity, for the health and livelihoods of its people, and for a future that is the right of future generations.