The environmental and human toll of the US–Israeli war on Iran

By Malihe Razazan

Published March 16, 2026 at 7:31 AM PDT

Plumes of thick black smoke rise from oil depot tanks after overnight air strikes reportedly carried out by Israel with U.S. support, northwest of Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 8, 2026. The attacks hit several fuel storage facilities and petroleum distribution sites in and around the capital, triggering large fires visible across the city and disrupting parts of the fuel supply network. Iranian officials reported multiple facilities damaged and at least four workers killed as emergency crews worked to control the fires. //FARNOOD_Sipa.24726/Credit:BERNO/SIPA/2603090827

On this edition of Your Call's One Planet Series, we’re discussing the environmental and public health impacts of the US–Israeli war on Iran.

Recent Israeli strikes on oil and gas facilities in and around Tehran triggered towering infernos and released highly toxic chemicals into the air. Black acid rain fell on the city following the strike.

We’ll also examine how the oil and gas industry is profiting from the war.

Guests:

Mark Hertsgaard, executive director of Covering Climate Now, environment correspondent for The Nation, and author of Big Red’s Mercy: The Shooting of Deborah Cotton and A Story of Race in America

Patrick Galey, head of fossil fuels Investigations for Global Witness

Antonia Juhasz, award-winning investigative journalist focused on energy and climate policy, and author of several books, including her most recent, Black Tide: the Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill

Resources:

The Nation: The Iran War Is Also a Climate War

Global Witness: The true price of the Iran war for oil, people and the environment

Jacobin: Big Oil’s Motives Behind the US Attack on Venezuela

Greenpeace: In Trump’s illegal war with Iran, the only winners are the oil and gas companies

Yale 360: Global News Coverage of Climate Change Falls for Fourth Straight Year