The Iran war and the toxic fallout

The toxic fallout of the unprovoked, illegal US-Israeli war against Iran will haunt the region for generations. The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEO) says the pollution produced by military strikes could have terrible long-term effects.

Iran was offering unprecedented concessions in negotiations at the time of the first strike on 28 February. The Pentagon has since stated there was no imminent threat from Iran while the UN’s atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said there is no evidence Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.

The Conflict and Environment Observatory reported:

As of the 10th March 2026, we have identified over 300 incidents, 232 of which have been assessed for their environmental risk. The results are mapped below, showing incidents in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, Cyprus, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Azerbaijan. By far the commonest facility type is a ‘Military Object’.

The CEO added:

Of those the most impacted sub-type is ‘Airbases’. Away from military sites, incidents cover a range of facility types, with different pollution profiles, from hospitals, to tyre storage sites, to oil refineries. As the conflict proceeds, we are seeing more attacks on civilian and dual use infrastructure.

CEO listed different kinds of physical, economic and social damage which are likely to have long-term effects, including:

• Pollution from military sites and materiel
• Marine pollution
• Fossil energy infrastructure incidents
• Nuclear facilities
• Desalination plants
• Weakened environmental governance

The CEO said they would continue to assess damage reports via social and traditional media:

We have seen a continuation — since our 3 day assessment — of pollution incidents that are placing people and ecosystems at risk of acute and long-term harm, and trends that could lead to substantial environmental damage as the war continues

Black rain over Tehran

In an earlier report published on 9 March, CEO assessed the effects of oil production sites being hit in Tehran, underlining the human cost:

Belligerents argue that attacks on oil facilities are militarily legitimate but in Tehran the civilian impact has been huge.

Israeli strikes on oil infrastructure between 7 and 8 March resulted “in a major environmental incident.”

Footage showed thick plumes of black toxic smoke and large fires burning at several facilities. This toxic mix of pollutants subsequently rained out over the city and entered drainage systems, raising concerns about possible surface and groundwater contamination.

With a population of more than nine million, the incident raises serious acute and long-term health concerns for Tehran’s residents.

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The environmental impact of Israel’s genocide in Gaza is already being felt as congenital disabilities increase. The toxic legacy of the illegal Anglo-American invasion of Iraq is still unfolding, particularly in Fallujah where invading US forces weaponised depleted uranium and white phosphrous in November 2004 – which the Americans later admitted to.

The use of depleted uranium in the war on Iraq in 2003 has led to expo­sure of the local population to radioactive uranium dust. This could potentially explain the significant rise in cancer and congenital malformations documented in Fallujah after 2003.

Iran has snubbed US offers to negotiate citing the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity as its immediate priorities. The initial strike on Iran occurred amidst Oman-brokered negotiations which the mediating force at the time said had “advanced, substantially.”

Without an end to the war in sight, and with continuing US and Israeli aggression, the toxic potential of another forever war will mount. And a mix of US hubris and Israeli ambition will impose that burden on the people of the region.

Featured image via the Canary