TEHRAN – Shina Ansari, the head the Department of Environment (DOE), has condemned recent airstrikes by the United States and Israel on oil storage facilities in Iran, calling it a typical example of environmental crime or ecocide.

Following an attack on Saturday, thick clouds of smoke were seen all over the sky in Tehran and nearby cities. 

The air was filled with particulate matters, as well as pollutant gases such as sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide, made breathing difficult for people, and increased concerns about air, soil and water pollution. 

“The enemies have started environmental war on Iran, endangering people’s health. They’re targeting oil facilities, particularly in metropolises where a large number of people live, has no justification. 

Concerning the high sensitivity of oil storage sites from an environmental standpoint, these measures are in sharp contrast with the international law,” Ansari told IRNA. 

The next day rain, saturated with harmful chemicals, made it even more harmful to citizens. Therefore, the DOE and the health ministry warned people to stay at home as being in open air for a long time could create severe health problems for them. 

“We are confronting an immoral, environmental war. We have to do our best to keep people safe and away from disastrous consequences of toxic pollutants. The department of environment has already warned people. 

We have also sent a letter [the second one] to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and other relevant environmental organizations, condemning the U.S. and Israel, urging them to respond decisively to these hostile measures,” Ansari noted.

Drawing on past experiences with regional conflicts, particularly those involving attacks on oil and industrial facilities, Ansari emphasized that the environmental effects of such actions are not confined to a specific timeframe or geographical area, often influencing generations. 

These consequences encompass widespread oil contamination, dissemination of toxic pollutants, and the destruction of coral ecosystems, collectively threatening the health of coastal communities.

Massive explosions release pollutants such as carbon dioxide and carbon black, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to global warming, climate change, extreme floods and draughts. 

Setting oil storages on fire, Netanyahu and Trump have not only started a mad war against the Iranian citizens, they have also launched a war on the larger world, as health and environmental problems arising from these oil depots are not limited to national borders.

Oil facilities explosions in Tehran set 47,000 tons of greenhouse gas, and 578,000 kilograms of pollutants free in the air, proving that criminals do not care about the environment, but their own interests.

Silent victim of war

War, by its very nature, unleashes devastating environmental consequences. Aside from widespread damage to air and water quality, the conflict creates escalating waste management challenges, amplifies noise pollution, degrades soil fertility, destroys agricultural land, pastures, and orchards, decimates livestock populations, and exacerbates dust storm occurrences. 

The long-term ecological and societal ramifications threaten the well-being of communities across affected regions. “The environment is a silent victim of war,” stated Ansari, strongly condemning the American-Israeli actions. 

Unfortunately, the effects of wars persist for years on a land and its nature, she underlined. “With every explosion, the environment is harmed. Bombs and explosives not only kill and injure fellow human beings but also hurt Mother Nature by sending toxic gases and particles into the air, threatening public health and safety.”

As mentioned by the official, the department has been proactively raising awareness about potential ecological repercussions of the attack, weeks before the war. 

Talking to ISNA on Friday, March 6, Ansari said that she submitted a correspondence in January to environment ministers of Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, warning of environmental consequences tied to any military action considering the vulnerability of the Persian Gulf’s marine ecosystem. 

According to her, the DOE also formally contacted the Secretary-General of the United Nations prior to the conflict, highlighting that the continuation of military threats in an area with concentrated oil, gas, petrochemical, and maritime infrastructure poses a perilous situation for regional and global peace, security, and the environment. 

However, these proactive diplomatic efforts yielded no immediate response. Ansari also highlighted a pre-emptive letter sent to Ingird Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), in January, advocating for a more robust role of the organization in mitigating environmental risks arising from intensified military build-up in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. 

In addition, she underscored UNEP’s mandate as a premier environmental authority within the United Nations, reiterating the need for a proactive and independent assessment of the consequences of increasing militarization, particularly given the ecological sensitivity of the region, the risk of massive oil pollution, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss. These efforts were reportedly met with inaction.