US-Israeli Strikes Released 1.5 Million Tonnes of CO₂, Iran’s President Tells COP31
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the COP31 UN climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday that US-Israeli strikes on Iranian fuel infrastructure released 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, Anadolu News Agency reported.
Pezeshkian attributed 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ to strikes on fuel facilities in Asaluyeh in southern Iran and another million tonnes to strikes on storage tanks near Tehran. Anadolu reported that Israeli strikes targeted oil storage facilities in Tehran on March 7 and that gas processing facilities in Asaluyeh were hit on March 18.
The Iranian president said the fires and pollution caused by the strikes exposed a contradiction between international efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and military operations that destroy infrastructure and release pollutants.
Pezeshkian calls for compensation over environmental damage
Pezeshkian urged international organisations to document environmental damage from US and Israeli military operations in Iran and Gaza and set up mechanisms for compensation. He said strikes on protected areas and ranger stations in Iran had damaged natural resources, while Israeli military operations in Gaza had destroyed infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems.
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The military offensive against Iran began on February 28. The ensuing war has caused widespread casualties and infrastructure damage, and regional mediators have sought to bring an end to hostilities, Anadolu reported.
Iran cites a rise in renewable power capacity
Pezeshkian also said Iran’s installed renewable energy capacity had risen from 1,250 megawatts to more than 6,150 megawatts over two years. He said the country had generated more than 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity in 2026, avoiding an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
He told delegates that lasting peace was essential to protecting the environment. COP31 runs from November 9 to 20 in Antalya, where climate negotiators are discussing emissions cuts, adaptation and financing.
With inputs from ANI