Senior military commander says US is main cause of Env. destruction, space militarization

TABNAK, Jan. 25 - IRGC Deputy Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has said the United States and Western countries are the main cause of environmental destruction and militarization of space.

News ID: 7127

Date: 25 January 2026 - 14:03

Speaking in a National Conference on Environmental Risks and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held at University of Imam Hussein (AS) on Sunday, Brigadier General Vahidi emphasized the need to adapt development with the environmental principles, noting that development patterns must be derived from the principles governing the environment, which is a significant part of the issue of controlling environmental and natural hazards.

Brigadier General Vahidi pointed to the nuclear tests as another intentional man-made hazard, stating that some large nuclear tests were conducted underwater, which is very destructive.

Nuclear tests, whether those conducted above the atmosphere or those conducted on the earth, have great risks, including man-made hazards, most of which are carried out by the United States, he warned, Mehr reported.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the IRGC deputy commander referred to the pollution caused in the Persian Gulf, adding that vessels and tankers cause a lot of pollution in the Persian Gulf. This deliberate man-made pollution has disrupted the environment of the Persian Gulf and destroyed many marine creatures.

Turning to the environmental hazards in the Gaza Strip, Vahidi asserted that Gaza is a complete example of the destruction of the environment that has been deliberately destroyed by the US and Israeli bombs. Innocent Palestinian people were killed and martyred in the enclave. The wars they wage are a major factor in the environmental destruction and environmental hazards that are being caused by Western countries.

He pointed his finger at the United States, stressing that the United States is the biggest violator of the environment in the world, followed by Western countries, with the weapons they produce.