In a letter sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday, Shina Ansari warned that the US military build-up and threats in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, an area densely packed with oil, gas, petrochemical, and marine infrastructure, endanger regional and global peace, security, and environment.
“Experiences from previous military conflicts in the region — including attacks on oil and industrial facilities — have shown that the environmental consequences of such actions are not limited to a specific time or territory,” she added.
The effects of military confrontations “can impact generations, ranging from widespread oil pollution to the release of toxic pollutants, the destruction of coral ecosystems, and risks to the health of coastal communities,” noted the official.
Meanwhile, she said that under both the 1972 Stockholm Declaration and the 1992 Rio Declaration, any military action that results in widespread marine pollution, destruction of coastal habitats, or harm to biodiversity may be considered a violation of customary international obligations to prevent transboundary harm.
She also noted that the first 1977 Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions stipulates that in armed conflicts, the natural environment must be protected against widespread, severe, and long-term damage.
Additionally, Ansari highlighted the Environmental Modification Convention (ENMOD) of 1976, formally the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, noting that the convention prohibits the hostile use of environmental changes with widespread, long-lasting, or severe effects.
She further urged Guterres to place the matter of environmental threats arising from the intensified militarization of the region at the top of his priorities, relying on his powers under Articles 99 and 34 of the UN Charter.
Also in his letter, the Iranian vice president called on UN agencies to evaluate the potential environmental hazards in the region and implement preventive measures.
The letter comes as US President Donald Trump has in recent weeks escalated his routinely warlike rhetoric concerning Iran, besides ordering a significant military buildup in the West Asia region.
The hostile posturing has seen Washington deploy two aircraft carriers as well as numerous warplanes and missile systems in the region.
Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it will not initiate any war but will deliver a decisive response to a military assault against the country.
Press TV