Tehran woke to a sky dripping black oil on Sunday, as if the clouds themselves had been tainted. Thick fumes hung over the city, a grim aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s southern and western oil facilities, according to CNN. Streets glistened with oil-slick rain, and the city’s governor warned residents to wear masks as the toxic downpour settled over the capital.
According to the Iranian news agency FARS, the Israeli military conducted strikes on Saturday that targeted four oil storage facilities and oil production transfer centers in Tehran and Alborz. The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of four tanker drivers who were at the center at the time.
On the ninth day of the Israel-US conflict, Iran attacked a desalination plant in Bahrain, causing 'material damages'. This marked the first instance of Iran targeting such a facility. From the outset, drones and missiles have been aimed at Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.
This comes after the US targeting Qeshm Island, home to an Iranian desalination facility. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that the assault on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz had interrupted the water supply for almost 30 villages, cautioning that 'the US established this precedent, not Iran,' as reported by AP.
The current wave of tensions in the Middle East erupted on February 28, 2026, when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, targeting its nuclear sites, military installations, and key leadership centers. In retaliation, Iran struck US and Israeli embassies and American military bases across the region.
The ongoing cycle of attacks has sent oil prices soaring, as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, threaten the flow of crude. Analysts note that prices have now reached levels not seen since the COVID‑19 pandemic, underscoring the far-reaching economic impact of the escalating conflict.