1. A bitter reality in the wake of environmental summits
2. New dynamics: when the ocean becomes a battlefield
3. Environmental consequences of conflicts: the great omission
4. Med Mosaic: when civil society initiatives confront the destruction of the seas in times of war
5. Legal analysis: the war on environmental law
6. Civil society, NGOs, the media and science: a fragmented system
7. The crisis of political priorities
8. Conclusion

Amid the risks of oil spills, noise pollution and disruption to marine ecosystems, the oceans have become the silent victims of a war in which security and geopolitics take precedence over biodiversity. 

A bitter reality in the wake of environmental summits

Whilst international summits dedicated to the protection of the oceans and the climate come and go, vital shipping lanes continue to pay the price for the decisions of the major powers, and marine ecosystems become silent victims. 

As I switch uneasily from one media platform to another, I am overcome by despair at an international scene which, in many respects, has become a dangerous source of pollution for both our conscience and the environment. Following a series of environmental summits full of brilliant recommendations and promising initiatives, we quickly return to square one, or even to a point worse than square one. 

Painful scenes of people belonging to the same human race, unable to live in peace and harmony, transformed, by the effects of politics and conflict, into enemies of one another. Hatred, hunger, poverty, destruction and disappearance… as if nothing had happened. As if all those conferences held under the banners of ocean and climate protection had been mere media bubbles that burst the moment they face the first geopolitical test. 

Here, in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil routes intersect with lines of fire, the most painful paradox manifests itself. And there, in the waters of the Mediterranean, where gas projects and strategies of military influence compete, the same paradox is repeated. Whilst summits on the climate and the oceans are held in luxurious halls, environmental destruction is perpetuated daily in the name of national security and military deterrence. 

How long will the sea remain hostage to conflict? And where are the promises to protect the oceans in times of war heading? 

New dynamics: when the ocean becomes a battlefield

The world is witnessing a growing politicisation of maritime spaces. Straits and waterways are no longer merely trade corridors or fragile ecosystems; they have become lines of confrontation in regional and international conflicts. 

The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil passes, periodically becomes a flashpoint for military confrontation, amid threats of closure and attacks on ships linked to regional tensions. 

At the other end of the map, the Mediterranean Sea has become a complex arena of conflict. From the Strait of Gibraltar to the coasts of Libya and Syria, border disputes over the delimitation of exclusive economic zones are intertwined with natural gas exploration, against a backdrop of a strong NATO military presence and rival naval bases. Tensions between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus, the conflict in Libya and the Russian presence in the eastern Mediterranean turn this ancient sea into a melting pot where geopolitical interests clash at the expense of a fragile ecological system. 

Environmental consequences of conflicts: the great omission

Herein lies the great contradiction. Whilst international conferences call for a sustainable blue economy and an ocean without borders, actual practices are once again imposing borders by force and even adding new borders of environmental threat. 

Military escalation along maritime routes threatens navigation and puts pressure on ecosystems already suffering from pollution, global warming and human exploitation. 

When discussing the pressure on the Strait of Hormuz or tensions in the Mediterranean, the environmental dimension remains conspicuously absent from mainstream analyses. War, even before it breaks out, leaves behind lasting environmental effects. 

In the Strait of Hormuz, any military confrontation affecting oil tankers or energy facilities could cause massive oil spills that would be difficult to contain in a narrow and relatively shallow maritime corridor. The environmental disaster would not be confined to the coasts of Iran, Oman or the United Arab Emirates, but would destroy unique wetlands and coral reefs in the Persian Gulf – ecosystems already suffering from extreme temperatures and high salinity. 

In the Mediterranean, the situation is even more complex. Years of conflict in Libya and Syria have led to the sinking of ships and fuel cargoes, as well as leaks of hazardous substances from damaged oil facilities. Added to this is chronic pollution caused by military manoeuvres and intense naval activity. 

The unprecedented migration crisis and associated search-and-rescue operations, coupled with strict security measures, have placed additional pressure on sensitive marine areas. Furthermore, gas exploration through seismic surveys produces noise pollution that interferes with the ability of marine mammals such as dolphins and whales to communicate and navigate, not to mention its impact on the fish stocks on which millions of fishermen depend. 

Both basins suffer a double impact. They are already suffering the effects of climate change: rising water temperatures, ocean acidification and sea-level rise. The addition of pressures arising from military conflicts makes the resilience of these ecosystems almost impossible. 

Med Mosaic: when civil society initiatives confront the destruction of the seas in times of war

Marine environment expert Mona Samari stated that “the Mediterranean connects all the countries in the region. Environmental degradation in one country quickly becomes a problem that threatens everyone. Addressing environmental issues in difficult times does not mean ignoring conflicts, but rather highlighting another crisis that will shape the region’s future for decades to come”. 

Samari added that “the media sector is already undergoing a global crisis. Environmental journalism is often one of the first casualties, despite being one of the most important fields for the region’s future. Challenges such as the loss of fishermen’s livelihoods, the growing vulnerability of coastal communities and the intensifying competition for marine resources could become security issues for the next generation”. 

This is emphasised by Mona Samari of the Med Mosaic initiative, which focuses specifically on maritime issues affecting countries in conflict or post-conflict situations in the Mediterranean region. The initiative works on issues such as the rise in dynamite fishing in Lebanon, Syria and Libya. 

Legal analysis: the war on environmental law

Dr Mohammed Belmahi, a Moroccan lawyer specialising in public law, states that the situation reveals a persistent shortfall in international environmental governance. 

According to him, armed conflicts highlight the current limitations of international environmental law. When security and energy issues become priorities, the protection of marine ecosystems is often sidelined, despite international commitments on biodiversity and ocean protection. 

Belmahi stresses that protecting the oceans in areas of geopolitical tension requires strengthening international legal mechanisms capable of integrating the environmental dimension into security policies and crisis management. The relationship between war and the environment has become one of the most complex legal challenges facing the contemporary international system. 

Modern wars no longer affect only infrastructure or civilian populations; they also impact marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Attacks on oil facilities, disruptions to navigation in strategic straits or the intensification of naval military activities can cause serious and lasting environmental damage. 

Although international law includes certain protective mechanisms, it still contains significant gaps. International humanitarian law establishes general principles to protect the environment during armed conflicts, such as the prohibition on causing widespread, long-lasting and severe damage to the natural environment. The problem lies in the weakness of enforcement mechanisms and the absence of effective monitoring systems, particularly in sensitive marine areas. 

Civil society, NGOs, the media and science: a fragmented system

In regions of tension such as the Strait of Hormuz or the eastern Mediterranean, civil society organisations face several structural obstacles: the ‘securitisation’ of environmental discourse, regional fragmentation and a lack of funding for conflict-related projects. 

The media also face a dilemma. When an incident occurs, such as an attack on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz or a naval clash in the Mediterranean, coverage focuses on geopolitics and energy prices, whilst the environmental dimension disappears almost entirely. 

For its part, scientific research is hampered by a lack of data and the politicisation of environmental information. In strategic regions, oceanographic data is often regarded as sensitive information, which hinders the development of open science capable of assessing shared risks. 

The crisis of political priorities

At international conferences, policymakers sign ambitious commitments to protect the oceans and achieve targets such as ‘30×30’, which aims to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. However, an analysis of the reality in the Strait of Hormuz and the eastern Mediterranean reveals a profound contradiction. 

The very same states that promote ocean protection initiatives may be the ones supplying weapons or diplomatic support to the warring parties along these strategic sea routes. 

In times of tension, the priorities are clear: securing energy supplies, maintaining military deterrence and consolidating regional alliances. The protection of biodiversity, accountability for pollution and the rights of coastal communities are relegated to the background. 

Conclusion

What unites the Strait of Hormuz and the Mediterranean Sea, despite their differences, is a single logic: the politicisation of the maritime space at the expense of its sustainability. 

The real challenge lies not merely in amassing commitments at ocean summits, but in building mechanisms capable of turning the protection of the sea into a force capable of resisting the logic of war. 

If the sea knows no borders, our actions will not be effective either until we face up to the new reality: political borders are being imposed by force in the ocean, and it is the ecosystem on which all humanity depends that pays the price. 

From the Persian Gulf to the shores of the Mediterranean, and from the Strait of Hormuz to Gibraltar, the sea has become the silent victim of conflicts. Either we acknowledge this truth, or we will continue to watch the catastrophe unfold whilst repeating slogans that never translate into action.