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First modification: 04/27/2026 - 23:54

The impact of the war in the Middle East is not only measured in human, economic and political terms, but also environmental. In less than two months, attacks between Iran and the Israel-US alliance have caused serious ecological deterioration, from oil spills to the release of toxic substances into the air. This crisis is already affecting public health throughout the region and is shaping up to be a ticking time bomb.

Although it is still difficult to accurately estimate the ecological cost of the conflict, researchers from the Conflict and Environment Observatory (Ceobs) – a British organization that has mapped attacks on energy infrastructure – estimate that around 5 million tonnes of CO₂ have been emitted during the first two weeks of fighting.

At the center of the concerns are the impacted refineries on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. Sometimes located near residential areas, these burning oil facilities can cause serious respiratory problems in the population. In a key region for fuel production, energy infrastructures are numerous and therefore difficult to protect.

In Iran, attacks on refineries and fuel depots in Tehran have caused leaks of flammable liquids in the city's pipes, causing explosions in different streets. The inhabitants of the capital have witnessed the dense columns of smoke coming from the facilities affected by the bombings.

Read alsoFuel and drinking water: attacks on infrastructure hit civilians hard in the Middle East

The Strait of Hormuz has not been left out either. However, the director of Ceobs, Doug Weir, believes that “the situation could have been worse.” Even so, an oil spill of about 20 kilometers continues to expand in front of the port of Bandar Abbas.

The Iranian drone ship Shahid Bagheri, hit on February 28 by US forces, continues to leak fuel while remaining near protected maritime areas.

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