Tehran's Toxic Cloud: Satellite Images Reveal Oily Fires Burning for Days After Israeli Bombings

Satellite images of Tehran have revealed that toxic fires caused by Israeli bombings on oil depots were still burning days after the strikes, posing serious health risks to millions of residents in the Iranian capital.

The bombings, which occurred on March 7, caused clouds of smoke to blanket the city with pollutants ranging from soot to oil particles to sulphur dioxide. A passing storm then showered Tehran with poisonous, oil-filled rain.

Residents have reported headaches, eye and skin irritation, and difficulty breathing. Experts have warned that these symptoms could be just the beginning, with long-term risks of cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, DNA damage, and cancer.

Four fuel facilities in and around the capital were hit, including the Shahran depot in the north-west, the Aqdasieh oil depot in the north-east, the Tehran refinery in the south, and the Shahid Dolati facility in the west.

Satellite images taken two days after the strikes showed the Shahran depot and the Tehran refinery were still burning. Another image taken by the European Space Agency satellite on Tuesday – 10 days after the strikes – showed that those two fires had smouldered, but smoke and flames were visible at the Aqdasieh oil depot.

Iran has described the attacks as “ecocide”, which is described as wanton acts of environmental destruction.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned that heavy smoke from burning oil was “directly inhaled by people in Iran – including young children – raising serious concerns about long-term impacts on both human and environmental health”.