Thick black smoke from Israeli strikes on oil storage depots in Tehran darkened the sky over the Iranian capital on Sunday, prompting health warnings from authorities about toxic fumes and potentially dangerous rainfall.
Israel bombed at least four oil depots in and around Tehran late Saturday night, sending dense plumes of smoke into the air that turned the sky into "dark black clouds", according to Iranian reports. The Iranian Red Crescent Society warned that the fires had released hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere.
"The smoke has introduced enormous quantities of toxic compounds, such as hydrocarbons and sulphur and nitrogen oxides, into the air and the clouds," the organisation said in a statement broadcast by Iranian state television.
It added that rainfall in Tehran on Sunday morning could be highly dangerous.
"With rain falling this morning in the city, it has highly acidic properties that are extremely dangerous," the statement said.
The organisation warned that exposure to the rain could cause chemical burns and respiratory harm.
"The phenomenon can cause chemical burns to the skin and severe damage to the lungs," the Red Crescent said.
It advised residents not to rub any skin exposed to the rain but instead to wash it only with cold water. It also recommended immediately replacing any clothing contaminated by the rain and sealing it in a bag.
The society later issued a six-point public safety protocol urging citizens to follow the guidance "to preserve health and prevent chronic respiratory and skin diseases".
Iran’s Environmental Protection Organisation also urged residents to remain indoors as much as possible.
The agency said this was to reduce exposure to polluted air and prevent respiratory complications, stressing that children, the elderly, people with heart and lung conditions, and pregnant women should particularly avoid outdoor exposure.
"Within the framework of continuous monitoring of air quality in Tehran, citizens will be provided with the necessary information through official channels if conditions change," the organisation said.
According to Iranian reports, the strikes caused explosions that sent flames and smoke high into the sky and triggered panic among residents.
Oil also leaked into streets in some neighbourhoods, igniting fires and causing damage to vehicles and property.
The fires from the depots in Tehran and the city of Karaj to the west of the capital were still burning hours later, although authorities said they expected them to be extinguished eventually.
Meteorological officials said weather conditions were worsening the situation.
Sadegh Ziaian, head of the forecasting centre at Iran’s Meteorological Organisation, told the state news agency IRNA that the city’s skies were filled with smoke and clouds.
"Tehran is currently experiencing a mixture of smoke and clouds in the sky, and areas close to the fire sites are experiencing darkness in the atmosphere," he said.
He added that rain was expected to continue on Sunday and Monday, while calm winds could allow smoke to linger over the city.
"Removing the current conditions and the smoke that has formed requires extinguishing the fires in the targeted areas - in other words, eliminating the source of the smoke," Ziaian said.
Residents in Tehran described waking to an eerie scene as the smoke blocked out sunlight, with one eyewitness describing the scene as "apocalyptic". The Israeli military confirmed it had struck "fuel storage facilities in Tehran" that it said were used "to operate military infrastructure".
Local authorities said at least six people were killed and 20 wounded at one of the targeted sites.
The attacks marked the first time oil infrastructure in Tehran has been targeted during the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on 28 February.