Today, the environment and its protection have become vital moral and social values, making legal safeguards essential. In Iran, there is a considerable body of laws addressing environmental protection, many of which include criminal sanctions. However, unfortunately, these laws often fail to provide effective protection in judicial practice. Iran’s penal policy, as a subset of its criminal policy, is insufficient on its own to resolve environmental issues and must be complemented by administrative, cultural, and economic measures. Social and industrial changes across societies have sparked new debates and perspectives on crime, with environmental crimes emerging as a significant new category. Rather than relying solely on legal provisions, it is crucial to promote environmental ethics alongside legislation. While passing laws is not always a complete solution, the presence of effective laws and regulations remains important for protecting the environment. Furthermore, numerous international instruments aim to prevent environmental degradation. To enhance the impact of punitive measures, other components of criminal policy—such as participatory criminal policy and judicial policy—must be strengthened within the field of environmental protection.