Iran says lift sanctions and we’ll ratify Paris agreement

Iran will ratify the landmark Paris agreement on climate change only if sanctions against it are lifted, a senior leader has told the BBC.

Iran is the world’s eighth largest CO2 emitter, yet is one of the few countries not to ratify the Paris pact.

Iran has been criticised for damaging its own water supply by drilling over a million wells and building around 700 dams.

The country had originally said that even if sanctions weren’t removed they promised that CO2 would be reduced.

The country hasn’t submitted a carbon cutting plan since 2015. Experts say their emissions are likely to increase by 50% by 2030.