Wars end, but nature’s wounds remain. Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of I

NEWS.am presents the article By Khalil Shirgholami, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Armenia on the occasion of the international day for preventing the exploitation of the environment in war and armed conflict – November 6

Wars do not only claim human lives. Forests go up in flames, city skies disappear beneath thick clouds of black smoke, coastlines become contaminated with oil, and ecosystems that have developed over thousands of years can be devastated in a matter of moments. Amid images of destruction and reports of casualties, nature is often overlooked—a silent victim whose wounds, unlike the sounds of gunfire, do not disappear when the fighting ends.

November 6, the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, provides an opportunity to draw attention to one of the less visible consequences of warfare: environmental destruction that knows no political boundaries and whose effects may persist for generations. For Iran, this is no longer a theoretical concern, but a reality experienced during the military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime in the twelve-day war of 2025 and the forty-day war of 2026.

According to official estimates by Iran’s Department of Environment, nearly 16,000 hectares of natural landscapes and environmentally protected areas were damaged during these two wars—an area equivalent to more than 22,000 football fields. The environmental damage has been estimated at over 25 trillion tomans. Yet behind these figures lie burned forests, damaged habitats, and disrupted natural cycles that may take decades to recover.

One of the most disturbing images of the war was Tehran’s darkened sky following attacks on oil storage facilities. According to Iran’s Department of Environment, during the forty-day war, more than 360,000 cubic metres of petroleum products caught fire in storage tanks in Tehran, resulting in emissions of nearly one million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, along with thousands of tonnes of other pollutants. Such pollution does not remain confined to the sites of the explosions; its consequences can extend far beyond them, affecting both human health and the environment.

But the war did not only darken Iran’s skies. The waters of the Persian Gulf were also affected. According to Iran’s Department of Environment, approximately 240 kilometres of coastline in Hormozgan Province were contaminated with petroleum substances. Oil slicks reached the shores of the protected island of Shidvar, while published images showed wildlife covered in oil. Contamination was also recorded along the coasts of Qeshm and Hengam, areas that are home to some of the Persian Gulf’s most valuable marine and coastal ecosystems.

Forests and protected natural areas were not spared either. During the forty-day war alone, 13 areas managed by Iran’s Department of Environment across seven provinces sustained damage. Every hectare of forest or grassland lost represents more than the destruction of a natural landscape; it is a loss of the planet’s capacity to absorb carbon, protect soil, and sustain plant and animal life.

These losses raise a fundamental question for the international community: Who bears responsibility for the damage that war inflicts on nature and the future of generations to come? International humanitarian law and the principles adopted by the United Nations International Law Commission in 2022 provide frameworks for protecting the environment in relation to armed conflicts. However, the effective implementation of these rules, the documentation of environmental damage, and the pursuit of accountability and reparations continue to require greater attention from the international community.

The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the need for independent, science-based assessments of the environmental consequences of military attacks, as well as stronger international mechanisms for accountability and compensation. Environmental protection must not become a secondary concern overshadowed by military and political calculations. Damage to the environment ultimately threatens human health, ecological security, and the shared future of humanity.

Wars may come to an end, cities may be rebuilt, and life may return to the streets. Yet a burned forest, a polluted sea, or a damaged ecosystem may bear the scars for decades.

True peace is not merely the silence of weapons; it also means safeguarding the conditions necessary for future generations to live and thrive.

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