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Residents of Tehran have been warned to stay indoors to avoid possible exposure to acid rain after Israel attacked key fuel-storage facilities in the Iranian capital.
The strikes have not only led to petrol shortage but also dangerous pollution as smoke billowed across various parts of the city on Sunday, plunging the city into darkness.
Iran’s Red Crescent Society has warned that the rain could be “extremely dangerous and acidic” in Tehran, home to about 10 million people, and issued guidelines for residents in case they come into contact.
Iran’s Meteorological Organization said the darkness currently shrouding Tehran was caused by a combination of smoke and clouds. It said that there will be no wind in the capital on Sunday, although winds are forecast on Monday morning which may help in clearing the smoke.
“There are oil on the roofs of white cars – I can see it from the window of my house,” said a resident of western Tehran, who, like others interviewed, asked not to be named for his safety.
Large plumes of smoke were seen rising from the north-eastern, southern and western parts of Tehran late Saturday night after Israel targeted three fuel depots in the capital and another in the nearby city of Karaj, west of Tehran.
It appears to be one of the most significant attacks on civilian industrial facilities in the war, which began on Saturday last week.
The attacks have raised concerns that other non-military facilities may also be attacked. Bahrain said on Sunday that an Iranian drone strike had damaged a water desalination plant, a day after Tehran said one of its own had been targeted.
The affected facilities were located close to residential neighborhoods and videos circulated on social media showed flames spreading toward nearby streets. As a result there were no immediate reports of fires in residential areas.
Another resident said petrol pumps near his home in central Tehran had closed because they had run out of fuel.
Iran’s Petrol Association said residents of Tehran and neighboring Alborz province would not face fuel shortages, but urged only those with “genuine needs” to visit petrol stations.
The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said there is no shortage of fuel nationwide and the situation in the capital will soon come under control. Officials said drivers will be limited to purchasing a maximum of 20 liters of petrol.
Unlike Israel’s previous war with Iran in June, many Tehran residents have chosen to stay in their homes rather than move to safer areas in northern Iran, citing the cold and the high cost of relocating.
However, daily life is increasingly disrupted by continued heavy bombing. Although the US and Israel say they only target officials and military sites in the capital, those facilities are often located within or near residential neighborhoods.
Government officials live among civilians, and police stations and Revolutionary Guards bases are located in populated areas. “It’s completely out of control,” said one Tehran resident.
