Tehran’s sky turned red as Israel destroyed IRGC fuel depots across two provinces, but Iran’s counter-strike just expanded the war to a second country

The skies above Tehran turned bright red after Israel struck several fuel storage complexes belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) across two Iranian provinces. Iran quickly retaliated, expanding the conflict to a second country.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strikes, saying intelligence guided them to target specific oil depots in Tehran and Alborz provinces. According to the IDF, these facilities were under IRGC control and were being used to distribute fuel to Iranian military forces across the region. The IDF stated that the strikes “significantly deepen the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime.”

According to the GB News, the National Iranian Oil Company confirmed that a number of oil depots in both provinces were hit. The company said that “fuel is being sustainably supplied from other sources” and that measures had already been taken to reduce product reserves at the targeted sites.

The strikes brought chaos to Iranian cities, and the fallout is now spreading far beyond its borders

Witnesses described dramatic scenes following the strikes. A woman in Tehran said there was “a lot of smoke in the city.” In Karaj, a man described seeing “a red light and everywhere was alight” after the strikes, saying he went to his rooftop to understand what was happening and realized it was the oil depot on fire. Another Tehran resident said the strikes made it seem “as if night had turned into day.”

Authenticated videos showed large columns of smoke rising over Tehran, with police diverting traffic in the affected areas. In response, the IRGC announced it had targeted Israel’s Haifa oil refinery. The IRGC’s wartime command structure and chain of authority has shifted significantly during this conflict, raising concerns about how future strikes may be ordered. 

Air raid sirens were reportedly heard in Haifa, but there have been no confirmed reports of anything being hit in Israel. The IRGC also claimed to have targeted US forces at a base in Bahrain, according to local media, expanding the conflict beyond Iran and Israel.

The escalation is already affecting global markets. Oil prices have hit multi-year highs, and Kuwait’s national oil company has begun cutting output, following similar moves from Iraq and Qatar. Meanwhile, Iran’s exiled prince engaging foreign governments on the war has added another unusual dimension to the already complex political situation.

Iran’s UN Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, stated that at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have died as a result of US-Israeli strikes. Six US service members have also been killed in the Iran war, with their identities recently released.