President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned the environmental destruction caused by US-Israeli military aggression, describing it as “ecocide” and calling on the international community to hold perpetrators accountable and help restore damaged ecosystems.

Addressing the 17th Summit of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia, on Friday, Pezeshkian said war does not only target people and economic infrastructure. It also inflicts lasting damage on nature, threatening the security and well-being of future generations.

“War burns forests, destroys wetlands, contaminates soil, threatens water resources, destroys habitats, displaces animal species, and introduces chemicals and heavy metals into natural cycles,” he said.

The environmental consequences of wars could persist for years after hostilities end, he said, urging the international community to pay greater attention to the effects of military conflicts on the environment in Iran and the wider region.

Pezeshkian said the aggressive war launched by the United States and the Israeli regime in the region has damaged industrial and energy facilities, triggered fires, released pollutants, contaminated soil and water, and threatened natural ecosystems.

The attacks have also destroyed protective infrastructure built through years of efforts to preserve biodiversity, he added.

“This is not merely a domestic issue or one confined to the political borders of a country. Nature recognizes no political borders, and the spread of water, soil and air pollution does not stop at borders,” Pezeshkian said, emphasizing that the environmental damage caused by war is a global problem requiring international solutions.

He cited the destruction in Gaza as an example of the potentially long-lasting consequences of Israeli aggression, saying experts have warned that parts of its soil could remain unable to support life and natural ecological and plant cycles for hundreds of years.

“What has happened in our region as a result of wars of aggression is ‘ecocide or environmental genocide,’ which must be condemned,” he said.

Pezeshkian also pointed to the combined effects of climate change, drought, water scarcity, desertification, economic sanctions and restricted access to technology and financial resources on Iran’s environmental protection efforts.

He said Iran has been targeted by criminal wars for two consecutive years, involving the extensive use of destructive and prohibited weapons, with attacks in many cases deliberately aimed at damaging the environment, including strikes on fuel storage facilities in the capital.

The president called for genuine international cooperation to help Iran implement environmental programs and compensate for the damage inflicted.

He urged United Nations agencies, international financial institutions and relevant environmental and sustainable development bodies to strengthen mechanisms for mobilizing financial resources, assessing environmental damage, restoring affected ecosystems and supporting countries impacted by armed conflicts.

“No country should regard nature as a silent and defenseless victim during war,” he said.

Iran’s cultural heritage of protecting nature

Pezeshkian said Iran’s commitment to biodiversity protection is rooted not only in its international obligations but also in its longstanding cultural and civilizational heritage.

He noted that Iran is a country with an ancient tradition of living in harmony with nature and has a remarkable diversity of ecosystems, species and genetic resources.

From the Hyrcanian and Arasbaran forests to the Zagros Mountains, deserts and the coasts of the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Caspian Sea, Iran’s natural wealth provides a foundation for water and food security, public health, resilience to natural hazards and sustainable development, he said.

Respect for nature, Pezeshkian added, has long been part of Iranian cultural, religious and ritual identity. Traditional agriculture, animal husbandry, the use of medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge have also developed through centuries of interaction with the natural environment.

“For Iran, the protection of biodiversity is not merely the protection of species and their habitats; it is the protection of a natural, cultural and civilizational heritage,” he said.

Pezeshkian noted that Iran has developed and approved a national biodiversity strategy and action plan.

Protecting threatened species, restoring vulnerable populations, expanding protected areas and monitoring key wildlife species are among Iran’s main priorities, he said.

However, he stressed that developing countries could not meet their environmental commitments without adequate funding, fair access to technology and knowledge, and capacity-building support.

Biodiversity financing must become more accessible, equitable and responsive to the actual needs of developing countries, he said, adding that such countries should not be left to bear the environmental costs of sanctions or wars they did not initiate.

Environment as a means of peace diplomacy

Pezeshkian said biodiversity protection could serve as an important avenue for “peace diplomacy,” particularly in a region facing security crises, climate change, water shortages and ecosystem degradation.

He said that environmental protection could not be achieved through a single solution, sector or institution. Instead, it required a shared understanding of humanity’s challenges and responsible use of diverse solutions that take account of different national circumstances and priorities.

Such efforts, he said, should not impose additional burdens on developing countries but should provide them with the means to pursue sustainable development while protecting nature.

Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to cooperate constructively with the international community by sharing its scientific and academic capabilities and experience.

“In a region facing security crises arising from the illegal presence and expansionist policies of powers, cooperation in the field of the environment can build a bridge between nations. This bridge can pave the way for peace and security for all, peace with nature, and a future in harmony with nature.”

He said such cooperation could advance both peace among people and peace with nature, helping create a future free from war, killing and destruction.

Biodiversity, he added, should become a shared foundation for the prosperity and well-being of present and future generations.