Iran says ready to send rapid response teams to contain California fires

Iran's government on Saturday expressed its preparedness to help the authorities in the United States contain the ongoing fires in California.

“As the Iranian Red Crescent Society has announced, we are ready to dispatch rapid response teams to assist in combating the fires in California," said Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokeswoman for the Pezeshkian administration.

"Human beings cannot remain indifferent to the destruction of homes and natural resources of other nations, whether caused by war or the wrath of nature. We sympathize with you, the people of California, who have been separated from your homes and safe living environments, have lost your homes and possessions to the fires, and have endured this devastating wildfire caused by severe climate change," she said.

The Islamic Republic is offering help to the US while it is facing a severe economic and energy crisis back home and has shut down schools and public offices this weekend due to energy shortages.

It has also been widely criticized for its repeated failure to contain forest fires, which devastate wildlife habitats almost every summer.

Last summer, the huge fires in Khaeez protected area in southern Iran exposed significant shortcomings in the nation's crisis management system.

Environmental activists have long advocated for more effective firefighting strategies, especially in terrains characterized by mountainous regions, dry vegetation, and strong winds, as these measures could help prevent such disasters.

Linking California fires to Middle East wars

Iran's hardline media have described the Los Angeles fires as an act of divine anger and a punishment for the United States' support of Israel in the Gaza conflict.

Mohajerani also alluded to a potential connection between the California fires and the Middle East conflicts, saying, "We recall the sorrow of thousands of displaced people who have suffered due to the selfishness and war-mongering of others."

Since Tuesday, six simultaneous blazes have swept through Los Angeles County neighborhoods, claiming at least 11 lives and damaging or destroying 10,000 structures. The toll is expected to rise as firefighters conduct house-to-house searches.