A toxic black rain showered Tehran after Israel targeted fuel depots (Image: AP)
Nearly two months after the U.S. and Israel initiated strikes against Iran, igniting hostilities on Feb. 28, specialists are now cautioning that the confrontation has resulted in enduring environmental harm and health hazards.
During the early stages of the Iran conflict, in the overnight hours spanning March 7 and 8, Israel attacked Iran’s oil infrastructure, hitting fuel storage facilities and a petroleum logistics center, which set off massive fires in Tehran with blazes and dense black smoke laden with soot, oil particles, and sulfur dioxide. The smoke was visible from miles away, and satellite imagery documented the hazardous fires continuing to burn days afterward in Iran’s capital.
Within hours of the fuel depots being hit, incinerating thousands of tons of stockpiled fuel, a storm drenched the city with black rain — an oil-contaminated, acidic deluge.
In a statement to Axios, the IDF asserted that the fuel depots “are used by the Iranian regime to supply fuel to different consumers including its military organs.” An Israeli military official informed the outlet that the attacks were intended, in part, to signal to Iran to stop targeting Israeli civilian infrastructure. U.S. officials were reportedly dismayed by the strikes, responding to Israel with, “WTF.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Iranian health authorities urged the millions of Tehran residents to remain indoors and wear masks after the black rain fell. They cautioned that black rain is highly acidic and could cause burns to the skin and lung damage.
Toxic black rain showered Tehran with a mixture of environmental contaminants and atmospheric condensation (Image: AP)
Among the most catastrophic and historically documented instances of black rain was the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, which generated a tar-like mixture of radioactive ash in the rainwater.
According to Earth.Org, black rain is a combination of toxic substances — such as soot, ash, or oil droplets — and atmospheric condensation. It can discharge a range of environmental pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, and soot.
The poisonous haze blanketing Tehran poses potentially significant short and long-term health consequences — a particularly alarming prospect given that the conflict continues and access to medical care in the region has significantly diminished. On April 6, the Iranian Red Crescent reported that 307 health, medical, and emergency care facilities had been damaged in the conflict.
What are the health impacts of black rain?
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) issued a statement addressing the environmental devastation across the Middle East, warning: “Heavy smoke from burning oil, which includes hazardous compounds, is now being directly inhaled by people in Iran – including young children – raising serious concerns about long-term impacts on both human and environmental health.”
Residents in Tehran described the oil fires as “hellscapes,” “a black monster,” and “apocalyptic,” according to the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), a UK nonprofit aimed at assessing the environmental and humanitarian consequences of war.
Since the conflict began, the CEOBS has monitored more than 300 incidents, evaluating the majority for environmental risk. The organization has highlighted that strikes near Tehran are of particular concern, as the city is encircled by the Alborz mountain range, which can trap smog and pollution. High-rise buildings can also obstruct wind flow, further deteriorating air quality when pollutants are unable to disperse from the area.
As toxic air and smoke from the fuel depot strikes blanketed the sky, residents reported throat pain and burning eyes, according to the Guardian.
Iran’s foreign minister denounced the strike on Iran’s fuel depots as “ecocide,” characterizing it as a deliberate act of environmental destruction.
The black rain that fell across Iran likely carries cancer-causing pollutants, including benzene, acetone, toluene, and methylene chloride. Experts cautioned the Associated Press that the hazardous chemicals present in the black rain could contaminate soil and water supplies, posing long-term cancer risks. The microscopic soot particles are also feared to increase the risk of lung and heart disease.