18 hours ago
Last Updated:March 08, 2026, 16:19 IST
Israeli warplanes hit five oil facilities in Tehran, causing black clouds and oil-tainted rain. Four died, and fuel distribution was disrupted.
This photograph shows Tehran's skyline covered with clouds and smoke after overnight strike on the Tehran Oil Refinery on March 8. (AFP photo)
A dark haze hung over Tehran on Sunday morning and a strong smell of burning lingered in the air after Israeli warplanes struck five oil facilities in and around the Iranian capital overnight.
Thick black clouds and oil-tainted rain were reported across parts of the city after airstrikes hit refineries and fuel storage sites south and west of Tehran, according to reports.
Huge fireballs and dense plumes of smoke rose into the sky as the strikes ignited large blazes at several fuel depots. Residents woke to darkened skies as the smoke drifted across the capital, shrouding parts of the city in haze.
Update from Tehran: Thick black smoke still in the air over pretty much the entire city. We drove around town just now. The rain has stopped, but breathing the air feels quite toxic. @CNN @cnni pic.twitter.com/6jQ9MQjIzk— Frederik Pleitgen (@fpleitgenCNN) March 8, 2026
Four people were killed in the attacks, the chief executive of Iran’s national oil products distribution company told state television. The overnight bombardment targeted oil facilities and storage sites that are key to the capital’s fuel supply.
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Tehran’s governor, Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, said fuel distribution in the city had been “temporarily interrupted" due to damage to the supply network.
“The problem is being resolved," he said, according to the official IRNA news agency, adding that repairs were under way.
The Israeli military confirmed that its air force had struck fuel storage facilities in Tehran, saying the sites were targeted to prevent their use by Iran’s military.
The strikes come amid a widening war between the United States, Israel and Iran that erupted on February 28 after joint US-Israeli attacks on Iranian targets.
Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the campaign and dismantle Iran’s leadership following a raid last week that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The conflict has so far killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 300 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials.
(With inputs from agencies)
First Published:
March 08, 2026, 16:11 IST
News world Dark Haze Over Tehran Skies, Burning Smell Lingers After Israel Strikes 5 Oil Sites | Video
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