Middle East conflict sparks market turmoil and environmental damage

Strikes on energy infrastructure expose fragility of global fuel and chemical supply chains

THE CONFLICT in the Middle East has triggered environmental damage as the US, Israel, Iran and Gulf states attack energy infrastructure, while disruption to shipping has unsettled global markets.

Following Israeli airstrikes on the Shahran and Shahr-e Rey oil depots near Tehran on 7 March, Iranian authorities warned residents to stay indoors and avoid using air conditioning due to a heightened risk of acid rain. Six people were killed in the attacks, while residents described the next morning to The Guardian as “apocalyptic”, reporting burning eyes and painful throats.

Black rain – a mixture of soot and particulate matter – was reported across parts of Tehran. Experts said the attacks could lead to soil and water becoming contaminated with carcinogenic compounds including aromatics and heavy metals. Iran’s deputy health minister, Ali Jafarian, told Al Jazeera that soil and water supplies were beginning to be contaminated by toxic releases from burning facilities.

Iran responded with drone strikes on energy infrastructure across the Gulf, including facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as tankers in the region.

The US has since carried out what were described as “large-scale” strikes on Kharg Island, a key export hub handling the majority of Iran’s oil shipments. Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on 13 March that US forces had “obliterated” all military bases in “Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island”. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with threats to target energy infrastructure in the region “in which the US and its allies have interests”.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also been disrupted, with reported attacks on oil tankers raising concerns over the risk of spills. Nina Noelle at Greenpeace Germany described the situation as “an environmental disaster waiting to happen”, noting that tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf were collectively carrying at least 21bn L of oil.

“The US-Israel attack on Iran and subsequent strikes by Iran on neighbouring Gulf countries has shown once again that our dependence on fossil fuels is a constant threat to peace, security and prosperity,” Noelle said. “When oil and gas prices surge, fossil fuel giants rake in more profits while everyday people are hit by higher costs for heating, electricity, transport and food.”