Wildfire burns UNESCO-listed forests in northern Iran
Shafaq News – Tehran
A wildfire has been burning for days in UNESCO-listed forests in northern Iran, local media said on Saturday.
The Hyrcanian Forests, stretching nearly 1,000 kilometers along the Caspian Sea in Iran and neighboring Azerbaijan, are considered a “unique forest massif” by UNESCO due to their age — estimated between 25 and 50 million years — and their biodiversity, which includes more than 3,200 plant species.
The fire first broke out in the area on November 1 and was brought under control after several days, but it reignited with greater intensity on November 15.
Two Iranian Ilyushin firefighting aircraft, seven helicopters, and about 400 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, which follows a severe drought that has left rainfall across Iran at 85 percent below average.
The head of a provincial nature protection unit said unauthorized hunters may have started the fire. Quoting Reza Aflatouni, head of Iran’s forestry organization, media outlets reported that the blaze may be linked to illegal attempts to clear forested land for private construction.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, Iran’s Vice President, wrote on X on November 20 that Iran had requested urgent assistance from “friendly countries.”
پیگیر آتش سوزی علف رازهای کوههای الیت منطقه چالوس هستیم. علیرغم حضور دستگاهای ذیربط و نیروهای مردمی..و استفاده از ۶ فروند بالگرد و هواپیما هنوز مهار کامل نشده است، بدلیل عدم مهار آتش و جهت جلوگیری از گسترش آتش به جنگل های اطراف، هماهنگی درخواست کمک سریع از کشورهای دوست انجام گرفت
— محمد جعفر قائم پناه (@Mj_ghaempanah) November 21, 2025
Vice President Shina Ansari told state television that Turkiye is sending two firefighting aircraft and a helicopter, adding that Iran could also receive assistance from Russia if needed.
