Iran War’s Environmental Toll Could Leave Damage and Health Risks for Decades, Experts Say

Oil depots spewing black smoke. Debris sinking in the Persian Gulf. Missiles pounding military sites.

The Iran war has unleashed a toxic mix of chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants that threaten everything from agriculture to drinking water to people’s health — and will leave behind environmental damage and health risks that could persist for decades, experts said.

“All the burning of oil and gas fields in the coastal areas, all the ships that are there, the oil tankers that are being burned or (sunk) — all of these mean pollution,” said Kaveh Madani, an Iranian scientist and director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. “For someone like me who has fought for sustainability and protection of the environment in that region, this is like going many years backward.”

Associated Press | By Tammy Webber