Toxic fallout

WARS can leave environmental scars that remain long after the fighting is over. The strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure are already producing consequences that extend far beyond the battlefield. What began as military strikes is fast becoming an environmental crisis whose effects could drift across West and South Asia. Several oil depots and fuel storage facilities in and around Tehran were struck during the latest phase of the conflict, triggering massive fires and thick black smoke that blanketed parts of the city. Some of the blazes burned for days before firefighters managed to bring parts of them under control, though residual smoke and smaller fires reportedly lingered. Burning petroleum infrastructure releases enormous quantities of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. The environmental consequences are serious. Oil fires emit a mixture of soot, hydrocarbons, sulphur oxides and nitrogen compounds — substances that degrade air quality, damage ecosystems and pose direct risks to human health. Residents in affected areas have even reported ‘black rain’ precipitation contaminated with soot and petroleum particles. Such pollution can contaminate soil and water while prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illness.

For Pakistan, the risk is real. Meteorologists warn that prevailing winds from Iran could carry airborne pollutants eastwards, particularly affecting western parts of the country such as Balochistan. Even diluted across long distances, particulate matter from refinery fires can worsen air quality and aggravate respiratory diseases. This threat arrives at a moment when Pakistan is already battling severe environmental stress. Cities across the country routinely endure hazardous smog while public health systems struggle to manage pollution-related illness. Additional transboundary pollution from a regional war could further strain communities already living with compromised air quality. Wars are often judged by their strategic outcomes. The environmental cost, however, is rarely part of that calculation.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2026

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