Is war turning air of Tehran into a chemical weapon? | The Take
Mar 24, 2026
Black rain fell over Tehran after oil depot strikes in the US-Israel war on Iran filled the sky with toxic petrochemical smoke. Th
Mar 24, 2026
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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