United Nations officials said on Tuesday that Israel and US strikes on fuel depots in Tehran have released large amounts of toxic pollutants, producing “black rain” and acidic rainfall across parts of the capital.
A spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, said the attacks raise serious questions about whether the principles of proportionality and precaution were respected under international humanitarian law, noting that the oil depots struck “do not appear to be of military exclusive usage.”
Health officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the burning of depots has released hydrocarbons, sulphur oxides, and nitrogen compounds into the atmosphere. Pollutants have caused darkened rainfall in Tehran, prompting authorities to advise residents to remain indoors due to respiratory risks and potential water contamination.
The original Israeli strikes targeted roughly 30 Iranian fuel depots in Tehran. US officials said the scale of the operation exceeded expectations after Washington was given advance notice, marking the first significant disagreement between the allies since the conflict began.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said the agency has also verified 13 attacks on health-care facilities in Iran since the conflict escalated. The violence has killed and injured first responders, including paramedics. WHO officials say the disruption has blocked access to approximately $18 million in humanitarian health supplies, with an additional $8 million in shipments unable to reach regional distribution hubs.
According to the UN Children’s Fund, supply routes for food and medical aid are already being delayed as shipping lines divert around conflict zones. Aid officials say delays could worsen child malnutrition in vulnerable communities, including among Afghan refugees living in Iran.
The conflict is beginning to spread across the region’s energy infrastructure. Iranian drones struck oil storage tanks at the Port of Salalah in Oman, where civil defence crews are attempting to contain fires at the facility. Earlier attacks targeted fuel infrastructure at the Port of Duqm, another key export hub outside the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have warned that continued attacks on energy infrastructure will trigger retaliation across the region, including potential strikes on oil facilities belonging to other Gulf states.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to grow. UNICEF reports that approximately 180 children have been killed since hostilities escalated, including dozens in a strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran. UN agencies say the environmental damage, civilian casualties, and attacks on infrastructure could have long-term consequences for public health, humanitarian access, and regional stability as the conflict intensifies.
