TEHRAN – 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.

Drawing on experiences from previous military conflicts in the region – including attacks on oil and industrial facilities – Ansari said that the environmental impacts of hostile measures are not limited to a specific time or territory, and their consequences, from widespread oil spills to the release of toxic pollutants, the destruction of coral ecosystems and the threats to the health of coastal communities, can affect generations.

The official called on Guterres to use his authority and Articles 99 (the Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security) and 34 (the Security Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security) of the United Nations Charter, to prioritize environmental threats resulting from the intensification of militarization in the region, and adopt measures to prevent environmental disasters.

DOE denounces Israeli attacks as destructive to environment

In June 2025, the DOE strongly condemned the Israeli attacks on fossil fuel tanks and storage facilities, saying it would be destructive to the natural environment and biodiversity.

The destruction of the environment is a typical example of environmental crimes, which poses a threat to biodiversity and violates international commitments, the DOE highlighted.

Besides threatening public health and regional ecosystems, these irresponsible actions have led to the release of toxic substances and pollutants that will have long-term impacts on air quality, water resources, and natural habitats, IRNA reported.

These destructions are occurring at a time when all regional countries are trying to adhere to global agreements and conventions to manage pollutant emissions.

The DOE called on the United Nations Environment Program (UNDP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as well as other regional and global organizations to take necessary measures to stop further destruction and prevent environmental disasters.

While climate change and environmental crises are major challenges in the 21st century, the deliberate destruction of the environment and the pollution discharge caused by military attacks have to be addressed decisively by the international community. Iran called for explicit condemnation of these actions by international institutions in global forums and exerted pressure on perpetrators of destruction to prevent the ongoing destruction of the region’s ecosystem.

MT /MG