Iran’s energy and environmental crises: The promise of a free Iran - opinion

Iran holds vast oil and gas reserves but faces energy shortages and severe air pollution, with nearly 59,000 deaths attributed to pollution in the past year. The article blames the Islamic Republic's 47-year governance and the IRGC for environmental degradation, and promotes the Iran Prosperity Project and Cyrus Accords as frameworks for reconstruction and Israeli-Iranian cooperation.

Iran holds some of the world's largest oil and natural gas reserves, yet millions of Iranians face energy shortages, inefficient industries, and severe air pollution. During winter natural gas shortages, power plants and industrial facilities increasingly rely on highly polluting fuels such as mazut. Winter temperature inversions trap pollutants near the ground, intensifying air pollution in major cities. According to Iran's own Health Ministry, nearly 59,000 deaths were attributed to air pollution in the Iranian year ending March 2025, with an estimated economic loss of $17.2 billion. The article argues that behind this crisis lies nearly 47 years of governance under the Islamic regime that has failed to translate natural wealth into public health and energy security. It criticizes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for environmentally destructive infrastructure projects and encroachment into protected areas. The authors present the Iran Prosperity Project, under Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, and the proposed Cyrus Accords as frameworks for reconstruction, including Israeli-Iranian cooperation on clean energy, environmental technology, and industrial modernization.