Full Breakdown
Environmental Fallout of the U.S.–Israeli Bombing Campaign on Iran
7/18/2026, 8:46:36 AM
Intensive Bombing Campaign and Immediate Ecological Harm
From 28 February 2024, the United States and Israel launched a 39-day aerial offensive against Iran, delivering 23,800 airstrikes. The campaign targeted oil terminals on Kharg Island, a desalination plant on Qeshm Island, and numerous military and civilian sites. Within days, local media reported the death of 25 goitered gazelles on Kharg Island, and the Tehran metro area experienced “black rain” after oil-storage tanks were struck on 7 March 2024.
Scale of Emissions and Greenhouse-Gas Release
A study by the Climate and Community Institute estimated that the first 14 days of hostilities emitted 5 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases, surpassing Iceland’s annual output. After 28 days, the total rose to 8.6 million metric tonnes CO2-equivalent, with reconstruction projected to add further carbon-intensive emissions.
Wildlife Mortality and Habitat Damage
Beyond the gazelles, the Hara Biosphere Reserve—an internationally protected Ramsar wetland—suffered oil contamination from a sunken navy container ship on 28 February 2024. Satellite imagery showed a kilometer-long oil filament still advancing toward the reserve as of 18 March 2024. Species at risk include rare sea snakes, Dalmatian pelicans, crab-plovers, and curlews. In Tehran’s Lavizan bird park, birds panicked and collided with cages after nearby explosions, while mammals fled the Kolah Ghazi National Park in Isfahan Province.
Water Infrastructure and Coastal Ecosystems
The March 7 bombing of Qeshm’s primary desalination plant halted water service to 30 villages; Reuters confirmed the facility remained “completely out of service” on 31 March 2024. Iran’s Ministry of Energy later reported damage to water-distribution systems in 388 locations, including pumping stations and reservoirs, with additional strikes on facilities in Sirik County. The oil slick from the February ship sinking also threatened the UNESCO-designated Qeshm Geopark, the first global geopark in the Middle East.
Official Analyses and Scientific Assessments
Researchers at Oregon State University’s Conflict Ecology lab, led by Jamon Van Den Hoek, are using open-source satellite data to map urban damage and plan a framework for tracking cumulative land, water, and atmospheric impacts throughout the conflict. Patrick Bigger, co-director of the Transition Security Project, highlighted the health hazards of the “black rain,” noting its composition of hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide, fine particulates, and heavy metals. Bethany Tietjen of The Fletcher School’s Climate Policy Lab emphasized the long-term ecological services of mangrove forests and warned that oil contamination can persist for extended periods.
Criticism, Institutional Gaps, and Civil-Society Response
The United Nations Environment Programme has no country team in Iran and lists only two biosafety projects there, contrasting with dozens of initiatives in neighboring Pakistan and Azerbaijan. Domestic environmental advocacy faces state suspicion; wildlife experts Houman Jowkar and Sepideh Kashani were re-arrested on 1 July 2024, prompting condemnation from the Wildlife Conservation Society, which calls them leading Asiatic cheetah specialists. Limited baseline environmental data and restricted access for international researchers further impede comprehensive impact assessments.
Conflicting Reports and Data Gaps
Official tallies record 3,500 Iranian deaths during the initial 39 days, but they exclude casualties from renewed U.S. strikes after 7 July 2024. Satellite-based damage estimates exist, yet pre-conflict environmental baselines remain “patchy,” complicating precise attribution of observed degradation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The black rain that fell on Tehran after Israel’s bombing of oil storage tanks was full of hydrocarbons, SO2 [sulfur dioxide], fine particulate matter, and heavy metals, none of which you want to breathe or have on your skin,” — Patrick Bigger, co-director, Transition Security Project, Climate and Community Institute
- “Coastal ecosystems like mangrove forests provide important ecological services, including supporting biodiversity, protecting shorelines, and storing significant amounts of carbon.” — Bethany Tietjen, postdoctoral researcher, The Fletcher School’s Climate Policy Lab
- “One of our next steps is moving from nationwide urban damage mapping toward a framework that tracks cumulative environmental impacts across land, water, and atmospheric systems over the full conflict period,” — Jamon Van Den Hoek, Oregon State University
- “The loss of biodiversity, cultural heritage, traditional livelihoods, and people’s place-based attachments can have significant impacts, regardless of whether the underlying driver is climate change or armed conflict,” — Bethany Tietjen, postdoctoral researcher, The Fletcher School’s Climate Policy Lab
The combined evidence indicates that the U.S.–Israeli bombing campaign has inflicted multi-dimensional environmental harm on Iran, with effects likely to endure long after hostilities subside.
