Explosion at Tehran Fuel Storage Facilities in Iran Raises Fears of Toxic Smoke and Acid Rain

Attacks by the United States and Israel have struck fuel storage facilities around Tehran, the capital of Iran, triggering an air pollution crisis as toxic gases have spread and concerns over acid rain have been raised.

Smoke columns rising on the 8th (local time) at the oil storage facility northwest of Tehran, Iran, damaged by attacks from the United States and Israel. Photo by UPI Yonhap News Agency

According to reports from international media outlets such as the Financial Times (FT) and The Guardian on March 8 (local time), a large fire broke out after Israeli airstrikes hit oil storage facilities in Tehran, intensifying the risk of toxic smoke and the potential for acid rain.

It was reported that from March 7 to 8, Israel attacked three fuel storage facilities in Tehran and one storage facility in Karaj, a city west of Tehran. Afterwards, foreign media reported that massive plumes of smoke were seen rising from various locations in northeastern, southern, and western Tehran. Local witnesses also claimed that black rain or oil droplets were falling.

Tehran authorities stated, "An explosion at the oil tanks is releasing large quantities of toxic hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxide compounds into the atmosphere and clouds," adding, "If it rains, there is a serious risk of highly dangerous acid rain." The Iranian Red Crescent also warned that toxic chemicals had been released into the air due to the fuel storage facility explosions and cautioned that acid rain could occur if it rains, advising citizens to refrain from going outdoors.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized via X (formerly Twitter), "By attacking fuel depots, harmful and toxic substances are being released into the air," adding, "This endangers civilian lives on a large scale by causing poisoning."

Foreign media further expressed concerns that this attack could lead to an increase in assaults on other non-military facilities. Since late last month, Iran has been retaliating against continued U.S. and Israeli airstrikes by targeting nearby U.S. military bases in neighboring countries. Recently, the government of Bahrain criticized Iran for indiscriminately attacking civilian infrastructure, stating that a desalination facility suffered physical damage from an Iranian drone. In response, Iran also claimed that its own desalination facility was attacked first.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.