Tehran’s massive fires following Israeli attacks on oil refineries

Late on Saturday, the Israeli military hit a number of Iranian fuel stations, causing massive fire and smoke balls to fly into the air and causing explosions that shook Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj.

The attacks seemed to be the first on Iran’s energy infrastructure since Israel and the United States started strikes on Iran last weekend, according to recordings that went viral on social media and were confirmed by The New York Times. Up until this past weekend, the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign had mostly targeted Iran’s police stations, security services, and leadership. It also aimed to destroy Iran’s capacity to manufacture and launch missiles and stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

However, like many cities, Tehran is a vast metropolis of 10 million people with closely spaced residential, commercial, and military buildings. Residents and Iranian media have reported extensive damage to residential dwellings, businesses, roads, water pipes, and a number of schools and hospitals close to the target sites.

Multiple oil storage depots in the provinces of Tehran and Alborz were targeted, according to a statement from Iran’s Ministry of Oil.

In a statement, the Israeli military stated that it hit multiple Iranian fuel stations late Saturday, causing massive fire and smoke balls to fly into the air and causing explosions that shook Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj.