It was an attack not on Iran’s leadership – but on its greatest source of wealth. According to a report by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Conflict and Environment Observatory (Ceobs) Israel bombed more than 30 Iranian oil facilities on the night of March 7-8, including oil storage facilities, refineries and fuel depots in Tehran and Karaj.

Ceobs reported clouds of black toxic smoke and large fires burning in several facilities. Among other things, the Tehran oil refinery was hit, which is one of the largest facilities in Iran with the production of 225,000 barrels of oil per day.

Tehran, for its part, attacked oil refineries and seawater desalination plants in Bahrain on Monday. Iran previously targeted the Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia.

Acid rain in groundwater

The air strikes released soot, smoke, oil particles and sulfur compounds, explains scientist Akshay Deoras from the University of Reading British Guardian. As it rained over Tehran during the attacks, the chemicals dissolved. Acid rain formed, which a strong wind distributed over Tehran and the surrounding area.

The city of nine million was covered in a cloud of black smoke on Sunday morning, and black drops also fell, according to media reports. The black rain fell into drainage systems and may have contaminated groundwater. Ceobs said the fires are unlikely to be put out quickly.

“Serious Dangers”

Experts agree that the burning oil depots will cause long-term damage to the entire region. The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, spoke to the press on Tuesday calling on the warring parties to “protect civilians from the consequences of the fighting and avoid damage to health facilities, schools, water supplies and other essential infrastructure.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) also expects the black rain to have long-term health consequences for people in the Tehran region. The toxic fallout could cause respiratory problems and damage the skin and lungs. The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on the social network X of “serious threats to public health across the region.”

Damage to oil facilities in Iran could contaminate food, water and air. Children, older people and people with previous illnesses are particularly at risk. “The risks to human health arise from inhaling and touching smoke and particles,” says scientist Deoras.

Several types of poison

The Iranian environmental authority therefore asked residents of Tehran on Sunday to stay at home. Nevertheless, according to the Guardian, people in Tehran reported difficulty breathing, headaches and burning eyes and throats.

However, this is just the beginning, fears Andrea Selle, professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London. “The explosions have exposed the local population to all sorts of unwanted and toxic chemical species,” he told the Guardian. “A problem well known to warfare.” The crude oil, for example, contains metals that are “also distributed indiscriminately.” The “chemical cocktail” is known to cause cancer.

US reportedly surprised by extent of Israeli attacks

“Acid” rain, on the other hand, primarily endangers the ecosystems in the water and on land. Fish eggs could no longer hatch and fish die. Plants can be damaged because acid rain washes the minerals and nutrients from the soil that are necessary for tree growth.

Tehran lies on the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains in a semi-enclosed basin in which the surrounding peaks rise to two to four kilometers in height and severely restrict air circulation over the city. Given its weak winds, Tehran needs significant rain to “clean” the air to remove the particles and gases most dangerous to human health, the NGO Ceobs explains in its analysis.

According to experts, these continue to accumulate on roads, roofs, soils and farmland, especially as the fires continue, according to media reports. This could be a problem, especially in the dry summer months when Tehran experiences dust storms. The winds could then swirl the dangerous smoke particles back into the air.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Iranian Vice President and head of the Iranian Environmental Protection Agency, Sheena Ansari, warned of the devastating consequences of US military actions in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman for future generations.

The USA has not yet taken a position on the environmental impact of the bombings against the oil facilities. However, according to a report by the USA, the Jerusalem Post “surprised by the scale of Israeli attacks on Iranian oil depots” – even after being informed of the targets in advance.