TEHRAN – The head of the Department of Environment (DOE), Shina Ansari, in a note, has described birds as the messengers of peace and life, holding the international community responsible for ensuring the safety of the sky where birds’ wing whistle is a promise of life's continuity.

Traveling thousands of kilometers, these amazing birds not only make political and geographical borders meaningless, but also act as precise indicators of the ecosystem's health, IRIB quoted Ansari as saying on Sunday.

The official made the remarks on the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day observed on May 9 and October 10, every year.

“The fact that major migration routes pass through Iran doubles our duties to make our cities safe havens for birds. 

But wars know no borders. The recent US-Israel aggressions have targeted the lives of innocent people and biosecurity, disturbed the peace in the region, and led to an unprecedented level of environmental destruction. 

Military tensions and explosions cause habitat destruction, noise pollution, and disrupt their migration routes,” Ansari further noted.

The official went on to say that the WMBD is a global call to peaceful coexistence. The day reminds humans of their grave responsibility to safeguard their shared natural heritage. 

WMBD 2026 highlights the important role of community science (also known as citizen science) in the conservation of migratory birds.

Themed “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!”, the 2026 campaign shines a spotlight on people-driven efforts essential to bird conservation and science, celebrating how individuals, communities, and organizations around the world are helping build the knowledge base to better conserve migratory birds across borders.

By focusing on the contribution of individuals, participatory science and public bird monitoring efforts, the campaign will celebrate the millions of bird enthusiasts around the world who are contributing to the data and knowledge that inform policy decisions and are essential for bird conservation, through each recorded observation.

Encompassing numerous wetlands, reservoirs, and diverse water bodies, Iran welcomes millions of migratory birds every year. The country has also emerged as the most important stopover for migratory birds in their flight route from Siberia to the Nile, as sixteen percent of them select to spend the winter in the country.

Iran is the most important country in West Asia in terms of housing migratory birds in winter, as around two million birds fly each year to spend winter in the country’s wetlands.

Ecocide in an unjust war

According to Article 55 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, the natural environment must be protected against widespread, severe and long-term damage in armed conflict. The 1976 Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Hostile Use of Environmental Modification (ENMOD) also prohibits any hostile use of environmental modification with widespread, long-lasting or severe effects.

Nevertheless, the US-Israeli attacks, with the widespread explosion of oil storage facilities in Tehran and Alborz provinces, the release of large amounts of air pollutants, and the encirclement of Tehran with a layer of smoke, are a clear example of “ecocide” or “environmental crime.”

Destruction of infrastructure, explosions, fires, and pollutants from military operations have severe and long-term effects on soil, water, air, and wildlife. 

According to Ansari, this inhumane act represents a serious threat to the lives of innocent people and civilians who, in addition to severe mental and emotional trauma, must endure the dangerous environmental consequences of this unjustly imposed war.

MT/MG