Iran presses Iraq on water rights as wildfires escalate across border
Iran is pressing Iraq to cooperate on water-sharing and wildfire control, Vice President and Department of Environment chief Shina Ansari said Tuesday in Tehran.
Ansari outlined the government’s environmental priorities, from dust storm mitigation and waste reform to expanded international diplomacy, IRNA reported.
Tehran is “in daily contact” with Baghdad, she said, urging continued coordination on water allocations and aerial firefighting support. The talks come amid repeated wildfires in Iraq and longstanding disputes over cross-border water flows.
“We’re closely following up on the issue of water rights,” Ansari said. She added that previous joint firefighting efforts had been effective and “must continue.”
Iran’s recent environmental diplomacy has notched a series of wins. The Ramsar Convention’s regional center for West Asia—previously rumored to be relocated—will remain in Iran for another three years. Tehran has also secured a seat on the Ramsar steering committee and obtained Ramsar certification for three wetlands: Gandoman, Kianshahr, and Babel Kala.
Ansari, who has made four official trips abroad in the past year, said Iran’s participation in high-level panels and bilateral meetings has “strengthened environmental diplomacy” and fostered wider regional cooperation. She also cited Iran’s reengagement with the Convention on Biological Diversity as a sign of renewed global outreach.
She acknowledged staffing shortages and budgetary constraints at home but said modernization and new technologies would help close the gap. The department is lobbying for broader oversight authority and stronger enforcement powers to implement existing environmental regulations.
Ansari appealed to the public and media to “see the full picture” when evaluating the agency’s performance. “Many of the duties lie with ministries such as energy, agriculture, and the interior,” she said, noting their roles in addressing air pollution and land degradation.