Pezeshkian says military aggression undermines global climate efforts

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TEHRAN- Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, on Wednesday sought accountability over environmental destruction caused by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Pezeshkian warned that military conflicts are undermining global efforts to combat climate change, stressing that peace is an essential prerequisite for environmental protection and sustainable development. Addressing the United Nations climate change summit in Antalya, Turkey, Pezeshkian said the international community must reconsider the concepts of shared responsibility and climate justice, emphasizing the inseparable link between peace and the environment.

"It is no longer possible to speak about the future of the Earth while turning a blind eye to wars that target soil, water, air, natural resources, and human life," he said, describing the environment as a silent victim of armed conflicts whose destructive consequences persist for generations. The president said the US and Israeli military aggression against Iran have caused extensive environmental damage, in addition to its human and economic toll, releasing vast quantities of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, said attacks on fuel facilities in Assaluyeh resulted in the release of approximately 500,000 tons of greenhouse gases, while deliberate strikes on fuel storage facilities around Tehran caused an estimated one million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. He described the situation as a stark contradiction, noting that while the international community is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen climate adaptation, large-scale military operations involving fuel consumption, munitions explosions, infrastructure destruction, and widespread fires are undoing years of environmental and climate action.

Pezeshkian also expressed concern over attacks on protected natural areas, saying such strikes constitute an assault on the shared natural heritage of present and future generations.

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About this analysis

The Tehran Times reports Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's address to the COP31 climate summit, where he said US and Israeli attacks on Iranian fuel facilities released large amounts of greenhouse gases and called for accountability. The article attributes the emissions figures and the claims about the strikes to Pezeshkian, and its numbers match other coverage of the same speech. Nothing in it misleads the reader.

What it gets right

“Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, said attacks on fuel facilities in Assaluyeh resulted in the release of approximately 500,000 tons of greenhouse gases”
The article attributes the emissions estimate to the president rather than stating it in its own voice, and the figure matches Anadolu's report of the same speech.
“environmental destruction caused by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran”
The article names who carried out the attacks in its first sentence instead of hiding the actor, consistent with other coverage that dates the strikes on Tehran and Asaluyeh.
“"It is no longer possible to speak about the future of the Earth while turning a blind eye to wars that target soil, water, air, natural resources, and human life," he said”
The article gives the president's argument in his own quoted words, so the reader can tell his position from the outlet's reporting.

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