Iranians Describe Smoke-Choked Skies, Toxic Fears and Scarcity After Strikes Hit Capital’s Fuel Infrastructure.
When the sun disappears at noon and even the birds vanish, a city knows something has changed.
Tehran woke Sunday to a skyline swallowed by smoke after overnight airstrikes ignited oil depots in and around the capital, residents said, describing scenes that felt “apocalyptic” as soot blanketed streets and fears mounted over toxic rain, polluted water and dwindling supplies.
At least four oil depots and a petroleum logistics site were struck, according to local authorities, who reported six people killed and 20 wounded at one location. Videos circulating online showed towering flames piercing the night sky and thick plumes still rising hours later.
By morning, rain fell through the smoke-filled air. Officials warned residents about possible acid rain and advised them to stay indoors. The Red Crescent cautioned that exposure to toxic chemicals could irritate skin and lungs, urging people to avoid turning on air conditioners or venturing outside immediately after rainfall.
For many, staying inside was a luxury they could not afford.
“The situation is so frightening it’s hard to describe,” said Negin, an activist in the central-eastern part of the city who spoke under a pseudonym. “Smoke has covered the entire city. I have severe shortness of breath and burning in my eyes and throat, and many others feel the same.”
She said masks and inhalers were already in short supply. Prices were climbing. Fuel was being rationed to a few liters per vehicle in some areas. “This is truly a crime against humanity,” she said, arguing that civilians were paying the price for a conflict beyond their control.
Medical experts warned that toxic gases and fine particulate matter can aggravate asthma, heart disease and other chronic conditions. Residents described eye irritation, persistent coughing and a metallic smell lingering in the air.
Mehdi, a 42-year-old restaurant owner in western Tehran, compared the atmosphere to the early days of the pandemic. “There’s soot everywhere,” he said. “We’re afraid to even clean the windows. My eyes are burning.”
He said he would close his restaurant until he was certain water supplies were safe. Others tried to flee the city, only to encounter long lines at gas stations and highways clogged with cars.
One resident, Mehnaz, said the blaze at the Shahr-e Rey depot turned night into day — and day into darkness. “In the night it looked like day,” she said. “In the day, it was so dark, it looked like a new moon night. So dark, just like our futures.”
As Tehran’s 10 million residents assess the damage, many say the greatest fear is not only what burned — but what lingers in the air, the water and the fragile sense of normalcy that once defined their city.
