ANTALYA, Turkey -- ANTALYA -- President Masoud Pezeshkian told the COP31 climate summit on Wednesday that U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have caused vast greenhouse gas emissions on top of their human and economic toll, citing assessments that strikes on fuel facilities at Assaluyeh released about 500,000 tonnes of pollutants and deliberate attacks on fuel depots around Tehran released one million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

In a speech to the 31st UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Pezeshkian said the world could not speak of the planet's future while ignoring the environmental consequences of wars and military conflicts, describing the environment as "the silent victim of wars" whose destruction persists for generations after hostilities end.

"The recent criminal and illegal aggression by America and the Zionist regime against Iran, alongside its extensive human and economic dimensions, has caused serious damage to the environment and introduced a massive volume of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere," he said.

"According to assessments, the attack on fuel facilities in Assaluyeh caused the release of about five hundred thousand tonnes; and the deliberate attack on fuel depots around Tehran caused the release of one million tonnes of carbon dioxide."

He called this "a clear and alarming contradiction," noting that while the international community works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, "extensive military operations with fuel consumption, munitions explosions, infrastructure destruction and the creation of widespread fires destroy the achievements of years of climate and environmental efforts."

He said it is "a matter of great regret" that the recent attacks also targeted protected areas and environmental protection bases, calling attacks on these areas "an assault on the shared capital of present and future generations."

Pezeshkian invoked martyred Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s interpretation of the Qur’anic phrase "wasting the tilth and the offspring," saying that the use of unconventional weapons, including nuclear arms, exemplifies it — "the destruction of cultivation, life, humanity and future generations."

He said this expression reflects a fundamental approach to the environment: "no power has the right, in the name of security or military superiority, to expose the foundations of life on earth to the risk of annihilation."

"Accordingly, we call for strengthening mechanisms to document, prevent and hold accountable these actions by the United States and the Zionist regime," he said.

Pezeshkian said Iran has pursued emissions reduction and clean energy development despite "oppressive sanctions and deprivation of access to financial resources and international technologies," raising renewable capacity from about 1,250 megawatts to more than 6,150 megawatts over the past two years, with clean electricity generation reaching more than 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours this year, preventing about 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

"These achievements show that Iran's national will to protect the climate has not stopped even in the most difficult economic and wartime conditions," he said.

He called on the international community and responsible organizations to "establish a real link between climate commitments in peacetime and responsibility in wartime" and to strengthen compensation mechanisms by documenting environmental damage caused by military aggression.

"The earth is not the inheritance of one nation or one generation. We have taken it as a trust from previous generations and must hand it over to future generations healthier and safer," he said.

"Peace is the precondition for protecting the environment, and protecting the environment is the precondition for sustainable peace." He said Iran was ready for "fair, responsible and synergistic cooperation" in protecting the environment.

Pezeshkian arrived in Antalya and was welcomed by Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, joining the family photo of 102 heads of state and government at the Leaders' Summit. The high-level segment runs Wednesday and Thursday, with dozens of leaders scheduled to speak, including Erdogan, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Pezeshkian.

On the sidelines, he met Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, who stressed "the depth of the relationship between Iraq and Iran" and "the importance of working to strengthen these relations and expand the horizons of cooperation in various areas of mutual interest," and called for international and regional efforts to end crises and reduce tensions rather than resorting to violence. Pezeshkian praised Iraq's positions aimed at ending crises and its active role in supporting regional security and stability.

He met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, exchanging views on bilateral relations, strengthening strategic ties, the latest regional and global developments, and jointly addressing environmental changes, with both sides emphasizing trade, deeper regional cooperation and coordination for security and stability.

He met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with the two sides highlighting agreements from the recent Armenia-Iran intergovernmental commission meeting in Yerevan and the importance of their effective implementation, and expressing confidence that high-level meetings expand bilateral relations across sectors.

He met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, exchanging views on bilateral relations and key regional and international issues, stressing that diplomacy, constructive dialogue and multilateral cooperation are essential for tackling shared global challenges. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz also met Pezeshkian on the sidelines, according to a post on X.

Pezeshkian described Tehran-Ankara relations as being at a very good level, saying the two countries share significant common ground on regional, economic, social and cultural issues that can strengthen bilateral ties and regional security.