March 13, 2026 | 04:57 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the attack on Iran's oil depot, which triggered "black rain," could cause severe respiratory issues as toxic pollutants disperse through the atmosphere.
“Black rain,” also known as acid rain that fell over Tehran, ”is indeed a danger” to the city’s residents, said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier in Geneva, Switzerland.
"We are in touch with the hospitals and with the authorities, and the Iranian authorities have issued an alert advising people to stay indoors, in light of the attacks on oil warehouses, especially," he added, according to UN news reports, as quoted by The Hill on March 10, 2026.
WHO is also monitoring the massive release of toxic hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen compounds into the air. Each of these compounds is hazardous to humans; if inhaled, they have the potential to cause serious injury or death, according to UConn Health, an affiliate of the University of Connecticut.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani warned that the impact of this attack on oil facilities raises serious questions about whether the obligations of proportionality and precaution under international humanitarian law have been met. She emphasized that the targeted location is not for exclusive military use.
Lindmeier noted that Iran's retaliatory strikes on Bahrain and Saudi Arabia's oil facilities also raise concerns about broader regional exposure to long-term pollutants and the resulting impact on contaminated water supplies.
The Iranian Environmental Protection Organization urged the public to stay indoors, warning that the highly acidic and dangerous oil rain can cause chemical burns on the skin and severe lung damage, according to NBC News. "If the rain contacts skin, do not rub it, rinse immediately with cold running water," the organization advised.
Meanwhile, the conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which is a corridor for 20 percent of the world's oil, has led to a surge in gasoline prices. President Trump, who condemned inflation-driven price hikes during his campaign for a second term, defended the current surge as part of a "short excursion," stating it is a "very small price to pay" to eliminate the alleged nuclear threat from Iran.
Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday called on Israel to cease its attacks targeting Iran's oil depots, adding that US allies should exercise caution regarding their chosen targets.
"Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life when this regime collapses. The oil economy of Iran will be essential to that endeavor," he wrote on the X social media platform.
Read: Iran War Nears Two Weeks with No Signs of Letting Up
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