Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged the international community to condemn environmental destruction linked to conflicts across the Middle East. He described the damage as “ecocide” and called for coordinated international action.
Speaking at a nature summit in Armenia, attended by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Pezeshkian said the consequences extended beyond national borders. He linked the environmental damage to what he called wars of aggression, including the conflict in Gaza and wider regional hostilities.
“What has occurred in our region as a result of wars of aggression is ecocide, or environmental genocide, and it must be condemned,” Pezeshkian said.
He argued that the scale of environmental harm required international solutions rather than isolated responses from individual countries.
Trump Rules Out Nuclear Weapons Against Iran
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran, saying Washington does not need them to pursue its military objectives.
During an interview on Thursday, Trump addressed questions about reports that his administration had considered using a powerful conventional bomb against Iran. He stressed that the weapon commonly called the “mother of all bombs” is not nuclear.
“The mother of all bombs is not nuclear,” Trump said, adding: “This is just an extremely large bomb.”
He reiterated the distinction while explaining his position on nuclear weapons.
“The mother of all bombs is one big bomb, but it’s not nuclear,” he said.
Trump then explicitly rejected the use of nuclear weapons, stating: “No, I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to,” he said.
Trump Signals Possible Further Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites
Despite ruling out nuclear weapons, Trump raised the possibility of additional attacks against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. He specifically mentioned Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear site.
“Now, we’re looking at Pickaxe Mountain. We may have to go there,” he said.
“We’ll take a shot at that one. We’ll knock it out fast.”
When asked whether such an operation would require American ground troops, Trump responded: “No, I don’t see that. I don’t see that.”
Trump also said the United States might need further military action within a year if it withdrew without ensuring Iran could not develop nuclear weapons.
“We want to make it so that they will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump Predicts War Could End Soon
Trump predicted that the conflict would end soon and claimed Tehran was negotiating with Washington. However, his remarks did not establish a timeline or confirm a final agreement.
“The Iran war will be over very soon. It’s going to end very soon,” he said.
“One way or the other, it’ll end very soon. And oil will go dropping like a rock — and gas prices as well.”
Trump also claimed Iranian officials had asked Washington to halt American and Israeli military operations.
“They’ve asked us to please stop. And we do, because we’re negotiating with them,” he said.
Asked whether he trusted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump replied: “I don’t trust anybody, honestly.”
“I don’t trust anybody,” he said. “In the world of politics, I don’t trust anybody.”
Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Will Remain Closed
Iranian Army Commander Major General Amir Hatami said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Iran’s rights received respect, according to reports published Friday.
Speaking at a ceremony at Imam Ali Officers’ University in Tehran on Thursday, Hatami said an enemy miscalculation had contributed to the outbreak of war. He claimed adversaries had viewed Iran as weak and underestimated the capabilities of its armed forces.
Hatami said the Iranian Army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with force, launching numerous strikes against their adversaries from the conflict’s earliest hours.
His remarks underscored Tehran’s position on the strategically important waterway amid continuing regional tensions.
Warning Over US Missile Defence Stockpiles
Separately, a report has highlighted concerns about US missile defence inventories and the time needed to replenish them following military support for Ukraine and Israel.
Former US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George reportedly warned in late December that shortages of key interceptors could persist until 2030. His assessment came approximately two months before the US-Israeli war against Iran began.
The assessment identified shortages involving Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) interceptors and Patriot missiles. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth removed George from his position in April, while the conflict was underway.
According to estimates from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, US forces entered 2026 with approximately 2,300 Patriot interceptors. The conflict reportedly consumed between 1,050 and 1,430 of those missiles.
The estimated prewar THAAD inventory stood at around 355 interceptors, with approximately 190 to 290 reportedly used during the conflict.
These estimates have raised questions about the readiness of US missile defences in a potential future confrontation with China.
Defence Industry Faces Long Replenishment Timelines
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior adviser at the research organisation, highlighted the importance of air and missile defence in a potential confrontation with Beijing.
“Air defence — missile defence — that will be huge,” he said, pointing to the demand for interceptor supplies during a major conflict.
Replenishing those systems could take years. Estimates suggest new THAAD interceptor contracts require more than four years to fulfil, while Patriot PAC-3 orders take an average of three and a half years.
However, the Pentagon rejected claims that US forces face a shortage of munitions.
“Claims of US munitions shortages are false,” Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said.
He added that Washington retains “everything required to strike at the time and place of the President’s choosing.”
The competing assessments highlight continuing debate over US military readiness as the Iran conflict raises environmental, diplomatic and security concerns across the region.
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