Massive explosions and towering clouds of smoke were seen over Tehran after Israeli airstrikes targeted five major fuel depots in the Iranian capital. According to the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, four people, including two tanker drivers were killed in the attacks.
The strikes, carried out by warplanes, hit several oil storage facilities in and around Tehran, triggering large fires and sending thick black smoke across the skyline. The smoke was reportedly visible even in nearby areas such as Karaj. Videos circulating online showed large fireballs, tall plumes of smoke, and flames illuminating the night sky, while powerful blasts rattled parts of the city.
Footage showed flames spreading along roads where spilled fuel had ignited, with residents describing a “river of fire” coursing through the city streets. The strikes impacted major facilities, including the Shahran and Aghdasiyeh depots, as well as a petroleum products transport center. Emergency teams worked overnight to control and extinguish the fires.
After the strikes, blackened rain fell over Tehran, which CNN reporter Frederik Pleitgen described in a video on X as rainwater mixed with oil and soot from the burning storage facilities and fuel.
Iranian officials reported that at least five oil facilities were targeted in and around Tehran, including four storage depots and a petroleum products transport center.
The fires were eventually brought under control, although fuel distribution was “temporarily interrupted” while the damage was assessed. Smoke from the blazes left a dark haze over the capital into Sunday morning, and residents reported a lingering smell of burning fuel.
Iranian authorities confirmed the explosions and fires but stated that the country’s fuel reserves remained secure.
The Israeli military also confirmed that its air force struck “fuel storage facilities in Tehran” to prevent them from being used by Iran’s military, according to France24.
