TEHRAN – Sorkheh Hesar and Khojir national parks, in east of Tehran, are in good condition despite the ongoing war and attacks by the U.S. and the Zionist regime against the country’s natural environment, an official with Tehran Province’s Office of the Department of Environment has said.

Rangers are making effort round the clock to protect the environment and keep the wildlife safe, IRIB quoted Reza Eqtedar as saying.

Of course, good precipitation and reduced visits by people to the parks have helped improve the situation, he noted.

“Continuous monitoring of the protected areas is being pursued seriously to prevent any encroachment on the environment and wildlife.”

Shina Ansari, the head of the Department of Environment, has said that the environment is a silent victim of wars, highlighting the irreparable impacts of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on the environment. 

“Unfortunately, the effects of wars persist for years on a land and its nature. 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.”

According to her, when wars break out, the news usually focuses on the tragic loss of human lives, injuries, and damage to buildings and infrastructure. But behind these visible horrors lies a similarly harrowing, though less visible, consequence of wars—one that rarely gets the attention it deserves: the long-lasting harm war does to the environment.

“When a region is attacked, it’s not just people and property that pay the price. The natural world suffers too, often in ways that take decades to heal—if they ever do. The damage to wildlife habitats, forests, and ecosystems can be devastating and sometimes permanent.

The environmental cost of modern warfare is often ignored, yet its effects reach far beyond the conflict zone and affect the adjacent areas. It endangers ecosystems, human health, and the future of all who share this Earth. To truly address this crisis, environmental concerns must become a central part of global security conversations, and those responsible for such destruction must be held accountable as war criminals.”