# What Operation Epic Fury Means for the Environment? URL: https://bluearabi.com/en/what-operation-epic-fury-means-for-the-environment/ Published: 2026-10-05 Updated: 2026-10-14 Author: Fatma Hmida Section: Climate Language: en Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran launched on February 28, 2026, has created environmental risks alongside its military and human costs. Strikes on military, energy and industrial sites have been linked to pollution incidents, fires and potential risks to air, water and marine ecosystems across Iran and the wider region. The environmental consequences can extend beyond the sites targeted. Fires, damaged industrial facilities, fuel spills and hazardous materials can contaminate air, soil and water, while damage to infrastructure can create longer-term risks for nearby communities and ecosystems. ##### What is **Operation Epic Fury**? ![](https://bluearabi.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/image-3.png) Operation Epic Fury military overview by US Central Command The United States launched [Operation Epic Fury](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-Operation-Epic-Fury) against Iran on February 28, 2026, in coordination with Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion. U.S. Central Command said the operation began at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time and targeted Iranian command-and-control facilities, air-defence systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields. The campaign lasted 38 days of major combat operations. On May 5, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Epic Fury had concluded and that the United States was moving to a new phase known as Project Freedom. The initial strikes were followed by Iranian missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. military positions in several Gulf countries. CENTCOM reported that its forces defended against hundreds of Iranian attacks during the first phase of the operation. The scale of the U.S. campaign increased rapidly. A U.S. defense official told reporters that American forces carried out nearly 900 strikes during the first 12 hours, using weapons launched from land, air and sea. By the end of the 38-day combat period, CENTCOM reported more than 10,200 sorties and more than 13,500 strikes. These figures are U.S. military assessments. > “By the end of the 38-day combat period, ..more than 10,200 sorties and more than 13,500 strikes.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed during the opening strikes. His death was announced by President Donald Trump and later confirmed by Iranian state media. Strikes on oil and petroleum facilities during Operation Epic Fury and the wider conflict caused fires and released large volumes of smoke and air pollutants. In Tehran, attacks on oil storage and refining facilities on March 7 and 8 produced large smoke plumes. Satellite observations later documented elevated sulphur dioxide levels over Tehran and surrounding areas. A 2026 atmospheric-science study estimated that the fires released about 29,800 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, with the main emission event lasting one to two days. The environmental effects were not limited to the immediate smoke. The Conflict and Environment Observatory reported that soot and other pollutants from the Tehran fires were deposited over parts of the city and entered drainage systems, raising concerns about possible soil and water contamination. The organisation also identified risks from damaged military and industrial sites, including heavy metals, fuel residues, toxic chemicals and particulate matter. The United Nations Environment Programme has also warned about the health and environmental risks associated with smoke from burning oil facilities. It noted that hazardous compounds in the smoke can affect people exposed to the pollution and that previous conflicts have shown the potential for longer-term contamination from oil fires and spills. Research from other conflicts provides further evidence of possible long-term risks. A 2025 study published through Brown University’s Costs of War project examined residents returning to bombarded areas of Fallujah, Iraq. Researchers detected heavy metals in human bone samples and found higher concentrations of several metals in soils from more heavily bombarded neighbourhoods. The study concluded that people returning to heavily damaged areas may face increased health risks from exposure to war-related contaminants. These findings come from Fallujah and cannot be used to establish the same health effects among people exposed to Operation Epic Fury. Military activity also has a significant fuel demand. The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency says it procures about 80 million barrels of petroleum fuel each year for defence operations. Earlier analyses have identified the U.S. military as one of the world’s largest institutional consumers of petroleum. Fuel use contributes to the carbon emissions associated with military operations, although estimating the total climate impact of a specific military campaign requires accounting for fuel consumption, equipment production, infrastructure and other emissions sources. ![](https://bluearabi.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/image-4-1024x266.png) ![](https://bluearabi.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/image-5.png) U.S. Department of Defense Fuel Demand Expenditures from the 2023 Energy and Fuel Budget Justification Report ##### **What is in the Air?** Understanding the potential effects of Operation Epic Fury on air quality requires first looking at the composition of the atmosphere. Nitrogen makes up about 78% of dry air, while oxygen accounts for about 21%. Most of the remaining 1% consists of argon, along with trace amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide. Air also contains water vapour, whose concentration varies with temperature and location, as well as suspended particles known as aerosols. Aerosols are tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere. They include mineral dust, sea salt, smoke, soot and some biological particles such as pollen. Although many aerosols are too small to see individually, they can influence weather and climate. Some act as cloud condensation nuclei, providing surfaces on which water vapour can condense and form cloud droplets. Also, Aerosols can affect how sunlight moves through the atmosphere. Their effects vary according to their composition and size. Some particles, such as mineral dust and sea salt, can scatter sunlight and contribute to brighter, more reflective clouds. Other particles, including soot, can absorb sunlight and warm the surrounding atmosphere. How long aerosols remain in the atmosphere also varies. Their atmospheric lifetime can range from hours to years, depending on factors such as particle size, composition and the altitude at which they are released. Human activities produce many types of atmospheric aerosols. Vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, fuel combustion and fires can release soot, smoke and other particles. Military activity can also generate aerosols through explosions, fires and the burning of fuels and industrial materials. These emissions can affect local air quality and, depending on their composition and atmospheric behaviour, may also influence climate processes. ##### The Health Effects of Smoke Pollution The World Health Organization and United Nations agencies have warned that smoke from large oil and fuel fires can contain pollutants that pose risks to human health. Exposure to particulate matter and other combustion products can affect the respiratory system, with the risks depending on the concentration and duration of exposure. During the strikes, large smoke plumes were reported over several areas of Tehran, including Shahran, Fardis, Shahr-e Rey and Aghdasieh. Satellite imagery also showed smoke spreading across parts of the capital. Residents reported reduced visibility and breathing difficulties during periods of heavy smoke. Some also reported dark-coloured precipitation, described locally as “[black rain](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iran-war-israel-us-tehran-oil-refineries-acid-rain-global-markets-rcna262390).” Such observations require further analysis to determine their composition and whether they were directly linked to the fires. The smoke also raises environmental concerns. Pollutants released by burning petroleum products can be deposited on soil, water and vegetation, potentially affecting ecosystems beyond the immediate area of the fires. > “Pollutants released by burning petroleum products can be deposited on soil, water and vegetation, potentially affecting ecosystems beyond the immediate area of the fires.” ###### Black Rain: When Fire Turns Into Rain Days after strikes damaged oil storage and refining facilities around Tehran, residents reported dark or “black” rain in parts of the capital. Images and reports of the phenomenon emerged as large plumes of smoke from burning petroleum products spread across the city. A March 2026 atmospheric-science [study](https://phys.org/news/2026-05-satellites-track-emissions-refinery-tehran.html) found that the fires released an estimated 29,800 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, with the main emission event lasting about one to two days. Black rain can occur when rain droplets incorporate airborne particles and pollutants, including soot and other combustion products. Burning oil can release soot, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and other pollutants. The World Health Organization notes that oil-fire smoke can contain both gases and particulate matter, with the particles contributing to the dark colour of the plume. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can also undergo chemical reactions in the atmosphere, forming sulphuric and nitric acids. These compounds can return to the surface through precipitation or dry deposition, a process known as acid deposition. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that acid deposition can affect soil, freshwater ecosystems, vegetation and aquatic life by increasing acidity and altering nutrient balances. > “Acid deposition can affect soil, freshwater ecosystems, vegetation and aquatic life by increasing acidity and altering nutrient balances.” The presence of black-coloured rain, however, does not by itself establish that the precipitation was acidic or identify all of its chemical components. Determining the composition of the material would require laboratory analysis of rainwater and deposited particles. The main health concern is exposure to the pollutants released by the fires, rather than simply contact with acidic rainwater. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can react in the atmosphere to form fine sulfate and nitrate particles, which can be inhaled and affect the respiratory system. Exposure to these pollutants can contribute to breathing difficulties and worsen conditions such as asthma. The environmental consequences depend on the quantity and composition of pollutants deposited. Acidic compounds and particulate matter can settle on vegetation, soil and water, while soot and other combustion residues may remain on surfaces after the smoke has dispersed. ![](https://bluearabi.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/image-9.png) Pathways for acid rain from industrial pollutants by the EPA. ##### Monitoring Air Quality After Fires Public health concerns over Iran’s air quality have remained significant following Operation Epic Fury. Oil fires, damaged infrastructure and debris can release particulate matter and other pollutants, although the overall contribution of military activity to air pollution remains difficult to quantify. Air quality can be assessed using standardized monitoring systems. In the United States, [the Air Quality Index](https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/k-12-education/dust-ash-fire-smoke/how-air-quality-measured) (AQI) converts concentrations of major air pollutants into a scale from 0 to 500. The index has six categories, ranging from good air quality to hazardous conditions associated with emergency-level health risks. It covers five major pollutants: ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. The data used to assess air quality come from both ground-based monitoring stations and satellite observations. NOAA satellites can detect and track aerosols, smoke, dust and other airborne pollution. These observations can help identify the location and movement of smoke plumes and support air-quality forecasts. Satellite systems can also monitor pollution from large fires, industrial activity, dust storms and volcanic eruptions. Beyond air-quality monitoring, aerosol observations provide data used to study atmospheric conditions and longer-term weather and climate patterns. ![](https://bluearabi.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/image-7-1024x576.png) Air Quality Index Scale A [peer-reviewed study](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-026-6252-9) published in *Advances in Atmospheric Sciences* provides the clearest quantitative assessment to date. Using observations from the Chinese FengYun-3 satellites and Europe’s Sentinel-5P, researchers found that SO₂ concentrations over Tehran and surrounding areas increased from a regional mean of about 0.8 Dobson units to 2.0 Dobson units on March 8. The affected area reached approximately 300,000 square kilometres, with peak concentrations of 10.8 Dobson units. The researchers estimated that the fires released about 29,800 tonnes of SO₂, with the main pollution event lasting approximately one to two days. They also found that rainfall likely enhanced the wet deposition of SO₂, while prevailing winds helped transport and disperse the plume by March 9. > “The researchers estimated that the fires released about 29,800 tonnes of SO₂, with the main pollution event lasting approximately one to two days.” The air-quality effects were not limited to SO₂. [The Conflict and Environment Observatory](https://ceobs.org/operation-epic-fury-emerging-environmental-harm-and-risks-in-iran-and-the-region/) reported that smoke from the Tehran oil fires contained soot, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and trace metals. Its assessment found that Tehran’s geography can also affect pollutant dispersion, as the city lies in a semi-enclosed basin bordered by the Alborz Mountains. Reuters separately reported that the March 7 strikes produced large plumes of black smoke over Tehran and surrounding areas. ###### Ground-Level Ozone: A Hidden Threat in the Air Ground-level ozone, or tropospheric ozone, is an air pollutant and a short-lived greenhouse gas. It differs from stratospheric ozone, which forms the ozone layer and absorbs much of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Unlike some pollutants, ground-level ozone is not emitted directly. It forms when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react in sunlight. These precursor pollutants can come from vehicle exhaust, power plants, industrial facilities, fuel combustion, solvents and other sources. Ground-level ozone is a major component of smog. High concentrations can irritate the eyes and airways, reduce lung function and worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma. Exposure can also damage vegetation and reduce plant growth. Because ozone formation depends on sunlight and atmospheric conditions, concentrations are often higher during warm, sunny periods. Ozone can also contribute to climate warming, although its role is different from that of longer-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. ##### The Future of Iran’s Air Quality The long-term [impact](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590162123000229)of the conflict on Iran’s air quality remains uncertain. The World Air Quality Index project does not currently provide sufficient real-time monitoring data for Iran to assess the full extent of the pollution. Tehran has faced persistent air-pollution problems for decades. Previous studies have documented elevated levels of particulate matter and other pollutants in the city. The additional emissions from fires, damaged industrial facilities and debris could further affect local air quality, although the scale and duration of these effects require further monitoring. The conflict has also raised concerns about contamination from damaged infrastructure, fuel residues, metals and other hazardous materials. Some contaminants can persist in soil and water for years, depending on their composition and environmental conditions. However, the presence and long-term persistence of specific contaminants in areas affected by the strikes require site-specific assessment. The World Health Organization has warned of increased health-care needs following the conflict, including potential respiratory and cardiovascular cases. Continued air-quality monitoring will therefore be important for assessing exposure risks and guiding public-health measures. Although major combat operations have ended, environmental effects can persist after the fighting stops. Air pollution, contaminated debris and potentially affected soil and water may require continued monitoring and remediation. **Copyright © 2026 Blue Arabi. 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