Iran War Causes 232 Environmental Incidents in Two Weeks

(MENAFN) The war engulfing the Gulf region has unleashed a secondary crisis — one measured not in battlefield casualties, but in toxic plumes, contaminated coastlines, and carbon emissions that have already eclipsed an entire nation's annual output, according to data compiled by Anadolu drawing on assessments from the UN Environment Programme, the UK-based Conflict and Environment Observatory, and the US-based Climate and Society Institute.

The conflict erupted on Feb. 28, when US and Israeli forces struck targets inside Iran, igniting a chain of military exchanges that has since scarred the environment across more than a dozen countries.

A Region Under Toxic Siege
Within just the first ten days of fighting, more than 300 strikes were recorded across Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, Cyprus, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Azerbaijan. Of those, 232 incidents were assessed as carrying direct environmental risk — a staggering ratio that underscores the indiscriminate ecological cost of modern warfare.

Attacks on oil infrastructure proved particularly devastating. Explosions and fires at military and energy targets dramatically elevated the risk of oil, heavy metals, and toxic substances leaching into surrounding soil, air, and water. Facilities situated near densely populated areas compounded the danger, heightening civilian exposure to hazardous pollutants.

Tehran's Oil Facilities in the Crosshairs
The Iranian capital emerged as one of the most acutely affected zones. Between March 7 and 8, four oil installations in and around Tehran were struck in succession — the Aghdasiyeh Oil Depot, the Shahran Oil Depot, the Fardis oil storage facility, and a storage site at the Tehran Oil Refinery. The latter, capable of processing approximately 225,000 barrels per day, ranks among Iran's largest refineries and serves as a key producer of liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, and vacuum-based products used in sulfur recovery and asphalt manufacturing.

Earlier, on March 2 and 3, Iran-launched drones targeted the Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia and Fujairah Port in the UAE. Experts cautioned that the dense black smoke billowing from struck oil refineries carries a cocktail of harmful gases and chemical compounds that pose acute risks to both human health and surrounding ecosystems.

Marine Pollution: A Spreading Threat
The environmental fallout has not been confined to land. Military operations along the Persian Gulf coastline have sharply elevated marine pollution risks. Following US strikes against Iran's naval forces, an estimated 43 or more Iranian vessels were damaged or sunk, with port infrastructure around Bandar Abbas and Konarak also sustaining significant damage.

An oil spill triggered by an attack on Iran's Dena frigate near the coast of Sri Lanka introduced additional contamination risks into open waters. Separately, Iranian strikes on port infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jebel Ali, and Manama damaged vessels and docking facilities, allowing fuel and other pollutants to bleed into surrounding marine environments.

Carbon Toll Surpasses Iceland's Annual Emissions
Perhaps the most alarming metric involves carbon emissions. Within just two weeks of the conflict's outbreak, the war had generated 5.054 million tons of carbon — a figure that exceeds Iceland's total annual emissions.

The breakdown tells its own story: destruction of buildings accounted for 2.415 million tons, the single largest share, followed by explosions at fossil fuel facilities at 1.883 million tons. Fuel consumed during combat and support operations contributed 529,000 tons, while embedded carbon in military hardware added 172,000 tons. Missiles and drones together generated a further 55,000 tons.

The data paints a sobering picture of a region already under acute environmental stress, now absorbing the compounding shocks of a conflict with consequences that will extend far beyond the battlefield.

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