Newsletters
Iran has requested urgent foreign assistance to help extinguish a large wildfire that has been burning for days in the Hyrcanian forests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north of the country, local media reported Saturday.
A senior Iranian official said Türkiye will send two specialized water bomber planes, a helicopter, and eight personnel to assist in containing the blaze.
The Hyrcanian forests, which run for roughly 1,000 kilometers (621.371 miles) along Iran’s Caspian Sea coast and into neighboring Azerbaijan, are considered one of the world’s oldest and most biodiverse woodlands.
UNESCO designated the forests a World Heritage Site in 2019, citing their unique age, dating back 25 to 50 million years, and the presence of over 3,200 plant species.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the fire initially broke out in early November and was briefly brought under control before reigniting on Nov. 15.
"Faced with the impossibility of containing the fire," Iran had "requested urgent assistance from friendly countries," Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, a deputy to Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, wrote Friday on X.
Shina Ansari, head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization, confirmed Saturday that "two specialized water bomber planes, a helicopter, and eight people will be dispatched from Türkiye."
“If necessary, we will also seek assistance from Russia,” she added in remarks broadcast on state television.
According to the Tasnim news agency, the fire was allegedly ignited by hunters in the rocky Elit area of Mazandaran province, where firefighting operations are underway.
The operation has been described as “one of the most complex in recent years,” said Hossein Ali Mohammadi, director general of crisis management for Mazandaran province.
Iran is currently enduring one of the worst droughts on record in more than six decades, further complicating efforts to contain the flames.
UNESCO notes that the Hyrcanian forests contain a large number of rare and endemic tree species and are home to many relic and endangered plants.
“Iranians are losing a natural heritage that is older than Persian civilization,” Kaveh Madani, a United Nations scientist and former Iranian environmental official, wrote on X.
1 min read
3 min read
