'Night turned into day': Iranians tell of strikes on oil depots

Published: 09 March 2026
The English Chronicle Desk
The English Chronicle Online

Residents of Tehran have described the terrifying moment Israeli airstrikes hit multiple oil storage facilities in the Iranian capital, with one telling the BBC that the explosions were so bright “it was as if night had turned into day” .

The strikes on Saturday evening sparked massive fires across four oil storage facilities and an oil production transfer centre in Tehran and the neighbouring province of Alborz, marking the first time Israel has directly targeted Iran’s energy infrastructure since the conflict began nine days ago . At least four tanker drivers were killed in the attacks, according to the Fars news agency .

Witnesses described scenes of apocalyptic horror as flames engulfed the city. “It started with a red light that lit up everything, followed by a wave that jolted the door,” one resident from Karaj, a city west of Tehran, told the BBC. “Then the sky lit up again, and a huge red cloud appeared” .

Another resident described the confusion in the immediate aftermath. “Karaj was calm for a day but now it’s turned wild again – they’ve blown it up,” he said .

The facilities targeted included the Aghdasieh oil warehouse in northeast Tehran, the Tehran refinery in the south, the Shahran oil depot in the west of the city, and an oil depot in Karaj . Witnesses reported that oil from the Shahran depot had leaked into nearby streets, with video footage showing flames flowing through roads while residents watched in shock .

By Sunday morning, a dark haze hung over Tehran as thick black smoke billowed across the capital, with the smell of burning oil lingering in the air . Residents woke to find sunlight obscured by the dense smoke, forcing drivers to turn on their headlights during the day .

“You can smell the burning. I can’t see the sun. There is a horrible smell. It’s still there, I’m very tired,” a woman from Tehran told the BBC .

Another local woman described the health impacts to The Guardian: “The smoke has covered the entire city. I’m gasping for air, and my eyes and throat are burning. I can’t stay outside” .

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, described seeing black raindrops on his windows on Sunday morning. “There is a high risk of being surrounded by toxic air,” he warned .

Iranian officials have raised alarm over the potential environmental and health consequences of the attacks. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei warned that the strikes were releasing hazardous materials and toxic substances into the air, “poisoning civilians, devastating the environment, and endangering lives on a massive scale” .

In a strongly worded statement on social media platform X, Baqaei called the attacks “nothing less than intentional chemical warfare against Iranian citizens” and described them as “war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – all at once” .

The Iranian Red Crescent Society warned that toxic compounds from the burning oil depots could cause dangerous acid rain if precipitation occurs . The Tehran municipal government stated: “The explosion of oil tanks has spread large amounts of toxic hydrocarbons, sulfur, and nitrogen oxide compounds into the atmosphere and clouds. If rain occurs, it will become highly dangerous, strongly acidic rain” .

Dramatic video footage emerging from Tehran showed flames erupting from storm drains and manholes in some areas shortly after the strikes, as burning fuel infiltrated the city’s underground infrastructure . The explosions were powerful enough to shake houses several miles away .

Iran’s oil distribution company confirmed that four employees were killed in the attacks, according to Al Jazeera . The semi-official Tasnim news agency later reported that six people were killed and 21 injured in one of the strikes on an oil storage facility in Alborz province .

With fuel supply disrupted by the attacks, authorities in Tehran have been forced to impose emergency rationing. The maximum per-person gasoline purchase limit has been reduced from 30 litres to 20 litres, according to Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, governor of Tehran Province .

Motamedian described the measure as temporary, stating: “Pollution levels have surged since the bombing of oil storage facilities. The fuel reduction will be a temporary measure for two to three days before returning to normal” .

The Israeli military confirmed it had struck “a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran” that were used “to operate military infrastructure” . In a statement, the military said the targeted fuel depots were used by the Iranian government to supply fuel to various customers, including its military units .

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would press on with the assault and strike Iran’s rulers “without mercy”. “We have an organised plan with many surprises to destabilise the regime and enable change,” he said in a video statement. “We have many more targets” .

The United States has expressed dismay at the scale of the Israeli strikes, marking the first notable disagreement between the two allies since the conflict began . According to a report by Axios cited by Anadolu Agency, the strikes targeted around 30 fuel depots across Iran, exceeding what US officials expected after Israel notified Washington ahead of the operation .

An adviser to US President Donald Trump said: “The president doesn’t like the attack on the oil facilities. He wants to save the oil, not burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices” . A senior US official added: “We don’t think it was a good idea” .

Washington is concerned that attacks on infrastructure serving ordinary Iranians could backfire strategically by strengthening public support for the Iranian leadership and driving up global oil prices .

The strikes on Saturday represent a significant escalation in the conflict that began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, some of his family members, high-ranking military commanders, and civilians .

According to Iranian officials, more than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began, with over 10,000 injured . At least 300 people have been killed in Lebanon, and about a dozen in Israel, according to officials .

Iran has responded with several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets .

Iran’s military has threatened to attack oil facilities across the region in retaliation for the strikes on its energy infrastructure. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified combatant command of the Iranian Armed Forces, warned that continued attacks could have major economic consequences, suggesting oil prices could exceed $200 per barrel if the conflict widens .

A spokesperson for Iran’s military command said Tehran has so far avoided targeting regional energy infrastructure but warned that failure to halt attacks could lead to “similar retaliatory measures across the region” .

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also warned that Tehran would retaliate “without delay” if strikes on infrastructure continue .

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