Tehran’s toxic cloud: satellite images show oily fires burned for days

On 7 March, Israeli bombings struck oil depots in Tehran, hitting four facilities: Shahran depot in the north-west; Aqdasieh oil depot in the north-east; Tehran refinery in the south; and Shahid Dolati facility in the west.

“Satellite images of Tehran show toxic fires caused by Israeli bombings on oil depots were still burning days after the strikes, which have caused fears of serious health complications for millions of residents in the Iranian capital”

The Guardian

Iran described the attacks as ecocide.

The Guardian

Satellite imagery captured days later showed the Shahran depot and Tehran refinery still burning two days after the strikes, with a European Space Agency image ten days after indicating those fires had smouldered, while smoke and flames remained at the Aqdasieh depot.

Footage posted on social media on 8 March showed a violent fire at the Aqdasieh site.

Clouds of smoke from the blasts blanketed Tehran with pollutants ranging from soot to oil particles to sulphur dioxide.

A passing storm delivered poisonous, oil-filled rain.

The Guardian

The World Health Organization's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the attack risked contaminating food, water and air, with hazards especially for children, older people, and those with pre-existing conditions.

UNEP said heavy smoke from burning oil was directly inhaled by people in Iran, raising serious concerns about long-term impacts on both human and environmental health, and it warned that pollution could enter soil and water, leach into groundwater, and be absorbed by crops.

Residents described headaches, eye and skin irritation, and difficulty breathing.

“Satellite images of Tehran show toxic fires caused by Israeli bombings on oil depots were still burning days after the strikes, which have caused fears of serious health complications for millions of residents in the Iranian capital”

The Guardian

Akshay Deoras, a research scientist at the University of Reading, said symptoms were consistent with oil fires that release sulphur and nitrogen compounds that could form acids if dissolved in rainwater, and that the observed rain was described as 'black rain'.

He noted raindrops act like magnets, collecting whatever was in the air as they fell.

Experts warned long-term health risks include cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, DNA damage and cancer, with Andrea Sella of University College London adding that risk depends on how long and how severe the exposure is.

Israel has claimed responsibility for bombing fuel tanks in Tehran and posted an image of one of the sites, an oil refinery in the south; it was not clear if the US was involved.

CNN quoted the US energy secretary Chris Wright as saying: 'These are Israeli strikes, these are local fuel depots to fill up the gas tank.'

The Guardian

UNEP noted that other strikes have caused environmental damage, including Iran's attacks on the UAE's Fujairah port and oil storage facility, and US-Israeli strikes on ships that caused oil spills, as well as an Israeli strike on a production facility for the world's largest natural gas field.

UNEP said experience from other conflicts shows large oil fires and spills can cause extensive environmental contamination and pose significant health risks from exposure to smoke, particulates and toxic emissions.