5m tonnes of CO2 emitted in just 14 days of US war on Iran, analysis finds [View all]

Exclusive: War in the Middle East is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined

Damien Gayle
Sat 21 Mar 2026 08.00 EDT

The US-Israel war on Iran is a disaster for the climate, according to an analysis that finds it is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined.

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The analysis, shared exclusively with the Guardian, adds another layer on to reporting of the catastrophic environmental harm being caused by attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure, military bases, civilian areas and ships at sea.

“Every missile strike is another downpayment on a hotter, more unstable planet, and none of it makes anyone safer,” said Patrick Bigger, a research director at the Climate and Community Institute and a co-author of the analysis.

“Every refinery fire and tanker strike is a reminder that fossil‑fuelled geopolitics is incompatible with a livable planet. This war shows, yet again, that the fastest way to supercharge the climate crisis is to let fossil fuel interests dictate foreign policy.”

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Destroyed buildings constitute the largest element of the estimated carbon cost. ..

Fuel is the second biggest element, with US heavy bombers flying ...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/21/middle-east-iran-conflict-environment-climate