TEHRAN, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Huge explosions rocked Tehran on Saturday night. Buildings trembled as if struck by an earthquake. The sky turned crimson, then orange, and eventually dark, while large plumes of smoke rose ominously into the night.
It soon became clear that oil depots and a refinery in the Iranian capital, as well as in neighboring Alborz province, had been hit in U.S.-Israeli strikes and were burning, reminiscent of a similar assault in June during the "12-day war" between Iran and Israel.
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a refinery in Israel's Haifa.
On Sunday morning, the sky remained heavy, as if the night wanted to linger. Then it began to rain, normally welcome in Tehran due to years of drought, but today a threat -- acid rain.
"Following explosions and fires at oil storage facilities, a significant volume of toxic compounds, including hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides, enters the atmosphere. These can combine with water vapor in clouds and, in the event of precipitation, create highly corrosive acid rain," warned the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), which also provided precautionary measures and health instructions.
"I went to the terrace, and the entire floor was dotted with black stains. I thought it was soot and not very dangerous, but after seeing the IRCS warning, I panicked - even more than the previous night when I heard the blasts," said Faramarz, a 40-year-old teacher.
"The only things I was happy with during these tough times," he added, "were the short daily strolls I took and the occasional visits to the terrace for a breath of fresh air. Now even these have been taken away from me. Is it fair?"
Yas Nejat, a 45-year-old lawyer, said that after arriving at her office in the morning, she noticed that her face and clothes were covered with black stains.
"I immediately washed my face thoroughly and borrowed some new clothes from a colleague," she said. "I have a bad headache and feel nauseous. I threw up a few times."
Some residents said their concerns extended beyond personal health.
"I feel really worried about the people and animals outside," said 43-year-old Somi Parast. "What would happen to our water resources if the acid rain entered them? What if such infrastructure comes under attack again?"
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate against Israeli and U.S. targets across the region. The latest flare-up has plunged the Middle East into a level of volatility unseen in decades, intensifying the impact on ordinary citizens.
The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Iranian Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raeisi as saying Sunday that this type of air pollution is unlike the usual pollution seen during cold seasons in the country's major cities.
He added that smoke from burning fuel and petroleum compounds can contain toxic components, making self-care and reduced exposure essential.
But some things, like this war, slip into people's homes no matter how hard they try to keep them out. ■
