SAEDNEWS: Dr. Masoumeh Ebtekar, former Vice President of Iran, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, strongly protesting the unilateral attacks by the Zionist regime and the U.S. on Iranian territory and highlighting their human and environmental impacts.
Dr. Masoumeh Ebtekar, former head of the Environmental Protection Organization and former Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, sent a letter to Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressing her strong protest against the unilateral aggressions of the Zionist regime and the United States against Iranian soil and its human and environmental consequences.
The following is the full text of Dr. Masoumeh Ebtekar to U.N. Secretary General:
UNEP Champion of the Earth
Tehran, Iran
Date: 5/7/2025
To: His Excellency António Guterres
Secretary-General
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
United States of America
Subject: Urgent Condemnation of Unilateral Aggression Against Iran and the Environmental and Humanitarian Consequences
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Your Excellency,
I write to you with a heavy heart and a profound sense of urgency regarding the recent military aggression and terrorist attacks carried out by the Zionist regime and the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran. These attacks have resulted in the tragic loss of civilian lives, including women and children, and have inflicted severe environmental damage with long-term consequences for public health and ecological stability.
As a UNEP Champion of the Earth and a lifelong advocate for environmental justice and peace, I am compelled to raise my voice against these violations of international law and human dignity. The deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and densely populated areas not only contravenes the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the Geneva Conventions, but also constitutes a direct assault on the foundational norms of international humanitarian and environmental law.
Moreover, these acts of aggression are in stark contradiction to the spirit and obligations of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to which Iran remains a committed signatory. It is a matter of grave concern that Israel, which possesses an estimated arsenal of over 70 nuclear warheads, continues to operate outside the framework of the NPT and remains unaccountable to international oversight.
The environmental consequences of these attacks—ranging from toxic air pollution and soil contamination to the destruction of critical ecosystems—will endure long after the bombs have fallen silent. These impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, and undermine decades of progress in sustainable development and environmental protection not only in Iran but across the globe. In our Center for Peace and Environment, an Iranian NGO we have commemorated Nov.6, the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict annually in Tehran, to highlight the environmental toll of wars on the globe.
Furthermore, the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where the Israeli military campaign has resulted in mass civilian casualties and widespread destruction, has been described by international legal experts and human rights organizations as bearing the hallmarks of genocide. The International Criminal Court has rightly investigated and condemned these crimes, issuing arrest warrants for genocide and war crimes and the global community must not remain silent.
I urge the United Nations to take immediate and decisive action to:
- Condemn and take necessary action to prevent these unlawful acts
of aggression;
- Demand accountability for violations of international law;
- Call for an immediate permanent ceasefire;
- Launch an independent investigation into the environmental and humanitarian consequences of these attacks;
- Reaffirm the centrality of the UN Charter and the NPT in maintaining global peace and security.
The world cannot afford to normalize impunity. The credibility of the international system depends on our collective ability to uphold justice, protect the innocent, and preserve the planet for future generations.
With deepest respect,
Dr. Massoumeh Ebtekar
UNEP Champion of the Earth
Former Head of the Department of Environment and Vice President, Islamic Republic of Iran
