Tehran:Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has raised concerns over significant environmental damage following a recent military strike on a Tehran refinery. This damage has adversely affected public health and the living environment, prompting Araghchi to call for international scrutiny and the classification of such actions as war crimes.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Araghchi highlighted the aftermath of the attack on the refinery’s storage tanks, which led to fires that darkened the capital’s sky for over a day. The phenomenon referred to as “black rain” exposed millions of residents to harmful pollutants and toxic chemicals.

Araghchi emphasized that the environment is often an overlooked casualty of war, with both nature and human populations suffering prolonged damage from conflicts. He also pointed out that the Gulf region has a history of environmental disasters, including those resulting from the US war on Iraq and subsequent oil well fires.

The Iranian Foreign Minister warned of continued environmental degradation due to ongoing regional conflicts and called for decisive international action to prevent further damage. He expressed hope that international conferences and seminars could enhance efforts to address what he termed “ecocide” in West Asia.

The context includes military actions that began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel targeted sites in Iran, leading to retaliatory strikes by Iran. Despite a memorandum to halt hostilities signed in mid-June between Tehran and Washington, exchanges of strikes have persisted.