Air strikes cause black rain and 'unprecedented' pollution in Tehran, scientists say

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete March 10, 2026 at 05:42 PM

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long article 4 min

Air strikes near Tehran, beginning around February 28th, have caused significant air pollution and black rain in the city, according to scientists and residents. Satellite images from March 9th show smoke plumes emanating from at least four damaged oil facilities, including the Shahran depot and Tehran oil refinery. Residents report a strong burning smell and obscured sunlight. Experts warn that the scale of pollutants released from the oil fires could be unprecedented, posing serious health risks. While the US and Israel have yet to comment, the IDF previously claimed responsibility for hitting fuel depots near Tehran on March 7th. The strikes release carbon monoxide, soot, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, and other harmful chemicals into the air.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Alex Murray 40% Kayleen Devlin 40% Barbara Metzler 40% Mark Poynting 40% Shahran ×250% Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ×260% World Health Organization (WHO) 60% United States 70% Israel ×270% BBC Verify ×370% Iran 80% Tehran ×690%

Keywords

air pollution 100% air strikes 90% oil facilities 80% tehran 70% oil refinery 60% smoke plumes 60% health risks 50% burning smell 40% environmental impact 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

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BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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air pollution air strikes oil facilities tehran oil refinery smoke plumes health risks burning smell environmental impact

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