'None Of It Makes Anyone Safer': Climate Toll Of US-Israel War On Iran

Last Updated:March 22, 2026, 18:51 IST

The war in West Asia has released five million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the last two weeks, a climate-focused analysis has found.

Every war comes with a price — the conflict in West Asia is not only impacting the lives of civilians, but also inflicting what could prove to be lasting, even irreversible, damage to the environment.

The war has released five million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the last two weeks, a climate-focused analysis has found.

The attacks are exhausting the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined, the data shows.

The destruction of civilian buildings in the strikes remains the biggest source of emissions, having released an estimated 2.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

According to reports, around 20,000 buildings have been destroyed by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.

Experts say the deployment of fighter jets, stealth bombers significantly contribute to greenhouse emissions. “The US Navy also has a significant fleet which will be operating remotely for some time," Benjamin Neimark of Queen Mary University of London, told AFP.

“That is a significant number of US troops that need to be fed, housed, and working around the clock. These floating cities all need energy."

Acid Rain, Pollution

Along with greenhouse emissions, the US-Israeli strikes targeting multiple sites in Iran caused toxic acid rain, exposing missions to pollution.

Between 2.5 and 5.9 million barrels of oil were destroyed in the war, releasing an estimated 1.88 million tCO2e.

The analysis suggests that between 150 million and 270 million litres of fuel were used by aircraft, and vessels, leading to the production of 529,000 tCO2e.

Patrick Bigger, research director at the Climate and Community Institute and co-author of the analysis, says every missile strike is merely another downpayment on a hotter and more unstable planet.

“Every missile strike is another downpayment on a hotter, more unstable planet, and none of it makes anyone safer," Bigger told The Guardian.

“Every refinery fire and tanker strike is a reminder that fossil‑fuelled geopolitics is incompatible with a livable planet", he added.

West Asia conflict

The conflict in West Asia has sharply escalated with direct US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory missile attacks across Israel and the Gulf states. The conflict between the Islamic Republic and Israel entered its 23rd day on Sunday, with both sides intensifying military operations.

Iran has kept up retaliatory attacks on Saudi Arabia and nearby nations in response to US-Israeli strikes. The attacks on the oil-rich nations, some of which have targeted energy facilities, have exacerbated concerns of a global energy supply shock.

News world 'None Of It Makes Anyone Safer': Climate Toll Of US-Israel War On Iran

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