SCO ministers caution against regional impacts of Iran war
Ministers and environmental officials from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have expressed grave concern over the environmental consequences of recent attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran.
The concerns were formally raised during the organization’s seventh environmental meeting, held in Kyrgyzstan on April 2-3. In the final protocol of the session, the member states condemned attacks targeting Iran’s energy and vaccine production infrastructure, warning that the resulting biological and environmental hazards pose a threat to the entire region.
Iran’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Gholamhossein Yadegari, who represented Iran in the meeting, condemned the military aggression against non-military sites, including oil and gas facilities and vaccine production centers. The US-Israeli aggression, which began on February 28, have recently focused on civilian infrastructure. Reported targets have included universities, hospitals, and schools. Specific sites of concern are the Pasteur Institute of Iran, a major vaccine production center where damage could create public health risks, and the Mahshahr Petrochemical complex, where strikes risk the release of hazardous chemicals.
The SCO meeting primarily focused on sustainable resource management, climate change, biodiversity protection, and cross-border environmental cooperation.