Iranian UN ambassador Saeed Iravani on March 9 wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen, Executive Secretary of Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) Mohammed Al-Ahmad, Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Stiell, Secretary-General of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Musonda Mumba, Executive Secretary of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Yasmine Fouad, Director-General of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Alexander De Croo, Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Director-General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Khaled El-Enany, and Executive Director of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Russell.
What follows is the full text of the letter:
Excellency,
I have the honor to transmit herewith the attached letter dated 9 March 2026 from H.E. Ms. Shina Ansari, Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of the Iranian Department of the Environment, addressed to the Secretary-General concerning the grave humanitarian and environmental consequences arising from the recent military attacks carried out against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Israeli regime and the United States of America since 28 February 2026.
As indicated in the attached communication, on the night of 7 March 2026, the aggressors' fighter aircraft carried out heavy strikes against several fuel storage facilities in Tehran and other cities. According to the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the explosions at these facilities released large quantities of hazardous compounds including hydrocarbons, Sulphur, and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. This has created a critical situation characterized by severe air pollution and serious health risks for the civilian population, particularly the elderly and individuals suffering from cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.
Moreover, rainfall in Tehran Province on the morning of 8 March 2026 contributed to the dispersion and deposition of these pollutants through highly acidic precipitation. Such developments may result in severe respiratory harm to the population and extensive environmental degradation, including the contamination of water resources and damage to ecosystems and living organisms.
In response to these alarming conditions, all medical centers in Tehran Province have been placed on high alert. The Iranian Department of the Environment has further advised residents of Tehran and Karaj to avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure and to remain indoors to the greatest extent possible.
These attacks constitute a clear violation of international obligations arising under multilateral environmental agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, which underscore States' responsibility to protect the global environment and to refrain from actions that may cause widespread environmental harm.
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran calls upon the United Nations and its relevant bodies to urgently address these developments and to undertake appropriate measures, including condemning environmentally destructive acts and pursuing accountability for those responsible for this manifest environmental crime.
I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as an official document of the Security Council.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.