TEHRAN; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s oil facilities and refineries have raised serious environmental risks.”When an attack causes soil contamination, destruction of water resources, and the creation of hazardous materials, its effects can persist far beyond the time and place of the attack,” he said, according to Iranian news agency ISNA.”The environment can no longer be considered a silent victim of war. War and conflict not only target people’s lives… but also water, soil, air, forests, agricultural lands, energy resources, natural habitats, and biodiversity.”
He said that “the destruction of water and soil resources, air pollution, the destruction of vegetation and ecosystems, and the emission of pollutants, wastes, and hazardous materials are among the consequences that can continue for years and even decades after the end of the conflict.
“In recent years, we have witnessed in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran how military attacks, in addition to human casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure, have left deep and sometimes lasting effects on the environment.”
Araghchi added that “No government, institution, or actor should consider itself beyond international responsibilities.”Iran nuclear technology “safe from external disruption: Chief of Iran Atomic Energy Organisation
Iran’s nuclear technology is safe from external disruption and cannot be halted by threats, pressure, or attacks, Mohammad Eslami chief of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), said, according to Al Jazeera.”We will secure our interests either through diplomacy or through combat,” he said, according to ISNA.
“The nuclear industry is rooted in Iran and cannot be destroyed by a blow.”
National unity can foil enemies’ attempts to weaken Iran: Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed on Sunday that national unity and solidarity were essential to overcoming Iran’s current challenges, saying no power could bring Iran to a standstill if its people stand together and reject exclusionary approaches, according to IRNA.
He warned that internal exclusion and self-imposed restrictions could undermine national strength, saying the country can withstand external pressure if it avoids marginalising its own people.
If Iranians did not undermine themselves through self-imposed restrictions or selective exclusion, the enemy cannot defeat them or bring them to their knees, he said, calling for opportunities that enable young people to develop their potential.
US military says it disabled vessel attempting to violate blockade
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on X on Sunday that the military disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, after the ship’s crew “ignored repeated warnings” and “attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran.”A fighter jet disabled the propulsion system of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also called the “Arika Sun”). According to CENTCOM, the vessel was “attempting to transit regional waters after having previously departed an Iranian port.”
CENTCOM resumed the blockade against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14.
