Apocalyptic inferno lights up Tehran

Tehran: The conflict between the United States and Iran, that sparked tensions in the Middle East following US-Israel attacks last month, rages on for the ninth day on Sunday, with no immediate signs of abating.

Residents of Tehran woke up on Sunday expecting daylight. Instead, they found the city still shrouded in darkness. Thick black smoke from Israeli airstrikes on several fuel depots had spread across the Iranian capital overnight, dimming out the morning sun and leaving streets dark long after sunrise. Israeli attacks targeted five major fuel storage facilities across Tehran.

Residents reported the smell of burning lingering in the air, with many saying it appeared dark even as the sun rose and rain poured on the city. Some residents reported oil-saturated raindrops from black clouds raining down on the city hours after the strikes. Iran’s environmental authorities urged Iranians to remain indoors to avoid respiratory problems and other health consequences. The Iranian Red Crescent said the oil depot explosions released into the air “significant quantities of toxic hydrocarbon compounds, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides.”

“In the event of precipitation, the resulting rain is extremely dangerous and highly acidic,” it added in a statement, warning of skin burns and severe lung damage.

Fars news agency reported that US-Israel strikes hit four oil storage facilities and an oil production transfer center in Tehran and Alborz. Four tanker drivers in the center were killed.

The strikes sent up pillars of fire that could be seen in videos as a glow against the night sky. It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war.

Meanwhile, fresh attacks were reported in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Fresh mobile alerts were issued in Dubai and Abu Dhabi warning residents against aerial attacks.

The United Arab Emirates says Iran has launched 16 ballistic missiles and over 117 drones in new barrages on Sunday. The UAE's Defence Ministry says it intercepted all 16 missiles, while a 17th fell into the sea. It says it intercepted most of the drones, but four fell in UAE territory. The ministry said it is ready to "firmly confront" the threats.

Lebanon said an Israeli strike on a Beirut hotel killed four people. The Israeli military said it carried out a "precise strike" in Beirut targeting commanders from the foreign operations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the Quds Force.

At least 10 explosions were reported over Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv on Sunday as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vowed to step up attacks against Israel and the US assets in the Middle East.

The war, which erupted on February 28 after joint US-Israeli strikes hit Iran, has so far killed at least 1,230 people in the Islamic Republic, more than 400 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to government figures.

The escalating conflict has disrupted oil and natural gas exports from the Middle East and forced production stoppages from Qatar to Iraq, with Kuwait announcing cuts over the weekend. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation has begun cutting oil output and declared force majeure on March 7 due to the war shutting exports via the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices have soared since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, reaching their highest levels since 2023. The price for a barrel of Brent crude jumped 8.5% to $92.69 on Friday — up from nearly $70 a barrel just late last week.