Is war turning Tehran’s air into a chemical weapon?

3 months ago 17
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The Take

Black rain follows Tehran oil strikes, spreading toxic fallout into air, soil and water.

Black rain fell over Tehran after oil depot strikes in the US-Israel war on Iran filled the sky with toxic petrochemical smoke. The contamination can seep into lungs, soil and water, with long-term risks from cancer to lasting environmental damage. What happens when the air people breathe becomes part of the battlefield?

In this episode: 

  • Narges Bajoghli, Cultural Anthropologist, Johns Hopkins University

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz, Marcos Bartolomé and Sarí el-Khalili with Catherine Nouhan, Tuleen Barakat, and our guest host, Tamara Khandaker. It was edited by Sarí el-Khalili.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. 

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Published On 25 Mar 2026

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