Overview
- Strikes on fuel depots and at least one refinery near Tehran ignited large fires whose plumes produced dark, oily rainfall, with residents reporting burning eyes, breathing difficulty and stained surfaces.
- The World Health Organization and Iranian agencies advised people to stay indoors and use masks, warning that the precipitation was acidic and could cause skin burns and lung damage.
- Experts say the smoke and rain contain microscopic soot, PAHs, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and likely heavy metals, creating acute respiratory threats and elevating long-term cancer and cardiovascular risks.
- Some airborne pollutants may disperse or wash out within three to seven days if new releases stop, yet contaminants that settle into soil and water can persist for years and threaten drinking supplies and crops.
- Tehran’s basin geography and chronic pollution increase exposure, while CEOBS has logged 300+ environment-related incidents during the conflict and communications cuts have hampered on-the-ground sampling and documentation; one strike on a desalination plant reportedly cut water to 30 villages.