Tehran, May 5 (IANS): Iran's ambassador to the United Nations has blamed the US sanctions for causing negative impact on Iranian environment.

Amir Saeid Iravani made the remarks in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Iran's official news agency IRNA.

The Iranian diplomat urged the US to lift all its "illegal" sanctions against Iran, which are in contradiction with international law and the UN Charter.

Iravani said that the US sanctions against Iran have exacerbated the country's environmental problems, posing risks to the health of Iranian citizens.

He cited that the sanctions have been preventing foreign investments in Iran's environmental projects, blocking the country's access to modern technologies in the area, and depriving Iranian scientists of engaging in joint environmental research projects abroad.

The Iranian envoy added that the US coercive measures have "destructive" impacts by denying Iran's access to clean energies to minimise the greenhouse gas emission, hindering the implementation of environmental projects, and harming Iranians' health and welfare.

Iran has been under US sanctions for the past four decades. The sanctions intensified following the US withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018.