Nournews: Statistics released in recent weeks paint an alarming picture of the consequences of the unprecedented heatwave sweeping across Europe. Official data indicate that the late-June heatwave in Western Europe has already claimed more than 10,000 lives, with the death toll expected to surpass previous records.

While mainstream Western media have described the event using terms such as "climate change," "extreme heat," and "record-breaking temperatures," a more fundamental question remains: Can this crisis be regarded solely as a natural phenomenon, or have the political, economic, and strategic decisions of major powers also played a significant role in shaping it?

The reality is that today's climate crisis is not merely the product of natural transformations. It is also the outcome of decades of profit-driven policymaking, great-power competition, and neglect of international responsibilities. From this perspective, today's deadly heat must also be understood within the broader structural behavior of the international system.

Major Powers' Neglect of Global Responsibilities

One of the primary factors behind the worsening climate crisis is the declining commitment of industrialized powers to their environmental obligations. Although some Western governments seek to place most of the responsibility on energy-producing countries, their own record in recent years tells a different story.

A clear example is the weakening or abandonment of international environmental commitments, including withdrawal from global agreements and the relaxation of environmental regulations on polluting industries. Combined with the unchecked expansion of energy-intensive industries and large-scale resource extraction, these policies have significantly contributed to rising greenhouse gas emissions and the acceleration of global warming.

At the same time, a striking contradiction exists in the priorities of many Western countries. While citing economic concerns to justify scaling back climate commitments, these same governments have allocated trillions of dollars to expanding military industries, modernizing conventional and nuclear arsenals, and increasing defense budgets. Europe, despite facing growing numbers of heat-related deaths each year, has devoted a substantial share of its resources to the war in Ukraine and higher NATO military spending.

Sanctions, War, and the Intensification of the Environmental Crisis

The climate crisis extends far beyond greenhouse gas emissions. The economic and security policies pursued by major powers have also had direct consequences for the global environment.

Broad sanctions imposed on various countries have weakened governments' ability to invest in environmental projects and climate adaptation measures. When a country's economy and livelihoods come under severe pressure, financial resources are naturally redirected toward immediate economic challenges, while long-term environmental programs are pushed aside.

Meanwhile, wars, political instability, foreign interventions, and geopolitical rivalries have destroyed infrastructure, deepened poverty, triggered mass migration, and reduced countries' capacity to protect the environment. This chain of crises has affected not only the climate conditions of conflict zones but also the broader ecological balance of the planet.

From this perspective, the author argues that a combination of Western political, security, economic, and cultural policies has directly or indirectly contributed to worsening environmental crises. At the same time, media outlets aligned with these policies have sought to avoid addressing this structural role by emphasizing alternative narratives.

War, Security, and Competing Narratives

Recent conflicts have further exposed the impact of major powers' policies on global security and the environment. The United States, Israel, and their allies, by expanding regional tensions, have generated not only security challenges but also significant economic and environmental consequences. One example is the threat posed to sensitive infrastructure, including Iran's nuclear facilities.

Within this context, some Western media outlets have attempted to portray Iran's exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, or restrictions resulting from regional developments, as factors disrupting global energy flows and even exacerbating the effects of heatwaves in Western countries. Yet Iran's actions are framed within the principles of legitimate self-defense and international law, while the primary roots of the crisis, according to this analysis, lie in the interventionist and war-driven policies of the United States, Israel, and their supporters.

Accordingly, if questions are to be raised about the consequences of global insecurity for the economy, energy markets, and the environment, they should first be directed at those responsible for wars and escalating tensions—not at countries that define their actions within the framework of defending national security.

A New Global Order: A Necessity for Humanity's Future

The range of challenges confronting the world today—from security and economic crises to climate change and the rising death toll caused by unprecedented heat—demonstrates that the current international system faces profound structural shortcomings. From this perspective, the existing Western-led unipolar order has not only failed to deliver lasting security and prosperity but has, in many instances, contributed to the escalation of global crises.

Against this backdrop, the transition toward a more balanced, multilateral international order based on shared responsibility is increasingly viewed as an unavoidable necessity. Within this framework, Iran's actions in confronting aggression and exercising its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz are presented as part of the broader emergence of such an order—one aimed not merely at safeguarding national security, but also at preventing the continuation of policies that have contributed to global insecurity, environmental degradation, and international instability.

According to contemporary security studies, including the Copenhagen School, security is no longer understood solely in military terms. It also encompasses economic, political, cultural, and environmental dimensions. From this perspective, states' responsibility toward environmental protection and global security constitutes an integral component of comprehensive security.