Iran accuses Israel of 'environmental war crimes' during 12-day war

Iran's Department of Environment condemned Israel's targeting of fossil fuel storage facilities and industrial infrastructure, calling it "a destructive assault on the natural environment"

Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) has accused Israel of committing environmental war crimes during its recent military strikes, warning that the attacks on oil depots, refineries, and protected areas have unleashed a cascade of toxic pollution that threatens human health, biodiversity, and the region’s ecological balance.

In a statement issued Sunday, the DOE condemned Israel's targeting of fossil fuel storage facilities and industrial infrastructure, calling it "a destructive assault on the natural environment and biodiversity." The agency warned that the fallout from the attacks would have long-term consequences for Iran's air quality, water sources, and natural habitats.

The warning comes after the 12-day war in which Iranian officials say multiple oil depots in Tehran’s west and south were struck, igniting massive fires that filled the air with toxic smoke. According to the DOE, in total, over 900,000 acres of protected land were affected, and 12 conservation areas were reportedly set ablaze.

"The Zionist regime targeted two oil reserves close to Tehran, and we witnessed the burning of millions of kilograms of different types of fuel, leading to the leakage and spread of tons of greenhouse gases and tons of toxic gases that have been spread into the air," the department stated.

“For all 12 days of the conflict, Tehran did not have a single day of clean air."

Damage from Israeli strikes

Further damage was reported in Rey, as well as at petrochemical facilities in Kangan and Bushehr. Air quality monitors have since recorded sharp increases in carbon monoxide, soot, and other airborne toxins, triggering alarms among environmental scientists and public health officials.

“This is not just a health emergency—it is an environmental disaster,” the DOE said, highlighting the spread of pollutants across vital ecosystems. “These irresponsible actions have long-term impacts on air quality, water resources, and natural habitats.”

Officials also reported that infrastructure belonging to the Department of Environment itself was directly hit, while the conflict disrupted emergency response efforts and conservation work across the country.

“These acts must be addressed decisively by the international community,” the DOE demanded. “While climate change and environmental degradation are already major global challenges, the deliberate destruction of the environment through military attacks cannot be tolerated.”

Iran has called for an explicit condemnation of the strikes at global forums and wants pressure applied to prevent further “ongoing destruction of the region’s ecosystem.”

Citing Articles 35 and 55 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, which classify permanent environmental damage as a war crime, Iranian officials warned that the environmental toll of modern warfare is too often ignored.

“This is a powerful reminder that the consequences of armed conflict reach far beyond the battlefield,” the DOE said. “The environment, too, is a casualty.”

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.

"Our duty is to defend the nation's right by documenting all those crimes and by pursuing [them all] in every possible way," the department stated.