Israeli airstrikes on oil depots near Tehran have caused massive fires, blanketing the city in toxic smoke and creating a severe environmental and health crisis. Residents are reporting hazardous air quality, polluted black rain, and widespread breathing difficulties.
Residents of Iran’s capital Tehran are facing severe environmental and health concerns after Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit major oil depots in and around the city, triggering massive fires and thick clouds of toxic smoke.
According to a Times of India report, Iranians living in India have been receiving alarming updates from their families back home describing choking fumes, black droplets of polluted rain and worsening air quality.
The strikes targeted the Shahran and Shahr-e-Rey oil depots, sending large plumes of dark smoke across the skyline and leaving many parts of Tehran shrouded in black clouds. Residents reported that the atmosphere quickly turned hazardous, with smoke entering homes, hospitals and public spaces.
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One Iranian living in India told the publication that her relatives in central Tehran described waking up to what felt like a nightmare. She said the sky was so dark even late in the morning that it resembled nighttime. People reportedly struggled to breathe indoors as fumes spread through the city. She relayed her family’s fears, saying children, elderly residents and even pets were “suffocating” due to the polluted air.
Another Iranian based in Mumbai said he briefly managed to speak to his father in Tehran, who described a strong oil smell lingering in the air. According to him, black droplets believed to contain oil residue were falling with the rain, worsening the already toxic environment. Authorities have reportedly advised residents to wear masks as pollution levels surged after the fires.
The environmental impact is raising concerns among medical experts as well. Doctors have warned that such conditions could pose serious risks for people with pre-existing illnesses. Exposure to polluted air and potentially acidic rainfall may lead to respiratory problems, skin irritation and eye infections, especially among vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.
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Beyond the immediate health risks, residents say daily life is also being disrupted. Some reports suggest fuel supplies have been restricted and grocery prices have risen following the damage to key energy infrastructure. A cap on fuel purchases has reportedly been introduced to manage shortages caused by the strikes.
The developments highlight the widening humanitarian and environmental fallout of the escalating conflict in the region. For ordinary Iranians, the crisis is unfolding not only on the battlefield but also in their homes, as toxic smoke and pollution continue to affect daily life across Tehran.