(SeaPRwire) –   In the weeks preceding the outbreak of war with Iran, the U.S. government made a surprising move regarding the chemical element phosphorus. A February 18 executive order from President Donald Trump mandated increased production of the substance, which is extracted in the United States by the international chemical company Bayer.

Early responses to the order centered on phosphorus’s role in herbicides. However, the implications extend far beyond local environmental issues. The phosphate industry is responsible for fertilizers, adds fluoride to drinking water, and manufactures weapons for warfare.

This dual nature makes phosphorus a paradox. It functions as both a fertilizer and an herbicide, supporting life while also causing death. The difference lies in its chemical structure: the number of atoms bonded together and the other elements attached to them. The residue from burning phosphorus acts as a fertilizer, a substance essential for all life.

The ongoing conflict in Iran is now highlighting this fundamental contradiction.

Glyphosate, an herbicide derived from elemental phosphorus and marketed as Roundup, is broadly suspected of causing cancer, leading to increasing legal liabilities for its manufacturer. During difficult periods, agribusiness giants like Bayer have historically sought endorsement and support from the U.S. government.

Yet, as the executive order acknowledged, elemental phosphorus can also be deployed as a weapon. Just ten days after the order, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran. As the conflict expanded in early March, reports surfaced that the Israeli military had fired white phosphorus munitions into residential neighborhoods in Lebanon. This was significant because such an action, if confirmed, would breach international law.

White phosphorus ignites spontaneously upon exposure to oxygen, generating intense white light and dense smoke. Its legal military applications are as a smokescreen or for illumination, but deploying it in populated areas is prohibited. According to municipal data verified by Human Rights Watch, at least two rounds landed over the town of Yohmor in southern Lebanon, igniting fires on rooftops. This constitutes an unequivocally illegal use of phosphorus.

When fired into the air, white phosphorus munitions arc upward, disperse, and descend like a rain of fire. The substance can burn buildings to the ground, cause severe skin burns, and inflict serious respiratory harm. It burns at a temperature high enough to melt metal.

For years, groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented Israel’s use of white phosphorus in Gaza, where it has burned hospitals and killed children. Evidence also suggests the U.S. has used white phosphorus in various regional conflicts, including in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Both nations have denied these allegations.

Elemental phosphorus is derived from phosphate rock, a mined mineral that is relatively scarce. While phosphate is mined in several U.S. states, Bayer is the sole domestic producer of elemental phosphorus. The company mines the rock in Idaho and sells the phosphorus to the ICL Group, previously called Israel Chemicals, which in turn supplies phosphorus munitions to the U.S. and Israeli governments.

Bayer has controlled this supply chain since its 2018 acquisition of Monsanto, the firm notorious for producing Roundup and Agent Orange. Bayer’s chairman celebrated the completion of the acquisition, calling it “a great day.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that Monsanto’s operations in Idaho left radioactive elements and heavy metals that polluted water systems. The production of millions of tons of phosphate required stripping thousands of acres of land, and by 2007, 15 waterways were identified as contaminated.

In Idaho, 17 former phosphate mines have been designated as federal Superfund sites, transferring the burden of the industry’s waste to the public. Selenium poisoning from these sites was connected to livestock deaths across southeastern Idaho, leading to a $1.4 million EPA fine for Monsanto in 2011. Merely two months after the penalty was imposed, Monsanto received permission to open another phosphate mine in the state.

An announcement like Trump’s executive order can lead to a relaxation of regulations surrounding a commodity. The reasoning is that if elemental phosphorus is a national security priority, federal agencies should promote its production rather than restrict it. The Defense Production Act, which was cited in the order, can offer protections from liability.

Bayer is confronting billions of dollars in lawsuits related to the carcinogenic effects of glyphosate. Its Idaho mining operations have a history of EPA penalties. In recent years, Bayer has developed strong connections with the Trump White House, which was said to be worried that legal claims could bankrupt the company. From this perspective, the executive order could be interpreted as another form of corporate assistance.

The U.S. and Israel are not the only countries accused of using phosphorus munitions. Russian forces have been alleged to use these weapons against Ukrainian civilians, and Syria’s government was suspected of employing phosphorus in its civil war. Such accusations require careful consideration, as the implicated governments typically deny them. As the U.S. government engages in conflicts, phosphorus remains a key component of its strategy.

However, while Bayer’s phosphorus is used in warfare, the majority is allocated for glyphosate, which fights a different kind of battle against the land. The hazards of glyphosate are well-documented: it degrades soil and is considered a probable carcinogen. It is a cornerstone of an industrial agricultural model that marginalizes people and threatens global food security.

Phosphorus fertilizers occur naturally in waste like manure and compost, yet the agricultural sector has grown dependent on mined sources. During times of geopolitical strain, such as the present, food prices increase because agribusiness depends on industrial inputs like phosphorus.

Consequently, global food costs are climbing and phosphorus shells are falling in Lebanon, all while the Trump administration greenlights another phosphate mine in Idaho.

Phosphorus is inherently life-sustaining, but the industry surrounding it has made it an instrument of death.