Worried viewers have expressed their concern for America's sole reporter on the ground in Iran, as he continues to expose himself to toxic fumes caused by the bombing of oil facilities in the country.
'It's an absolutely apocalyptic scene here,' Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen told CNN News Central's Kate Bolduan from Tehran, as fires raged around him.
'We've just made it to the Shahran oil depot, which was attacked last night in a massive wave of airstrikes.'
He went on to explain how he and his crew had 'just made it to the Shahran oil depot', and how the facility had been bombed for 'maybe an hour and a half' the night before.
'We heard those going on for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, with massive thuds and then explosions that we could hear.
'And that thick black plume of smoke - we saw that last night. And now we’re actually seeing it up close. And what we’re also seeing is that some of those destroyed storage tanks are still on fire: There’s still flames originating from them.'
Pleitgen explained how most of the facility was in ruins and how 'you can see that thick black smoke through the entire city, across all of Tehran.' He added how it had 'been raining this morning' and that 'there was oil mixed into the rain.'
'So this is definitely a massive incident that is still going on,' he said. Onlookers were quick to warn that the phenomenon he was describing was dangerous.
'It's an absolutely apocalyptic scene here,' Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen said Sunday morning, reporting live from Tehran, Iran, at a just-bombed oil depot as rainclouds mixed with thick, soot-filled smoke began to form behind him.
The dangerous phenomenon was being fueled by still-raging fires left by an Israeli airstrike Saturday night.
'The air is extremely toxic. You should be wearing at least an N95 mask if outside,' wrote one viewer.
'Be careful[.] [Y]ou do know you're breathing that oil filled air,' another said.
Others said more of the same - as others praised Pleitgen for his courage.
'Brave reporting from the frontlines amid toxic smoke and rising tensions �� Stay safe out there, Frederik - mask up and keep shining light on what's happening. Prayers for civilians caught in this mess,' wrote one such onlooker.
Former DNC National Field Director Adam Parkhomenko recognized the fact that Pleitgen was the only American from a major outlet reporting from the country.
'Managed to film at the Shahran oil depot in Western Tehran that was targeted by airstrikes last night. The oil still seems to be burning,' Pleitgen further wrote on X while sharing more footage.
'We saw flames coming from some of the destroyed oil storage tanks. Also destroyed tanker trucks outside the gate. Sorry for audio issues, was windy.'
Soldiers responsible for the strike, meanwhile, were Israeli.
The day before, officials confirmed at least 30 Israeli strikes on various fuel depots in Iran, according to a report from Axios. Sources told the publication that US forces were 'dismayed' by the nature of the strikes.
Senator Lindsey Graham reshared the report to X on Sunday to urge Israel to 'please be cautious about what targets you select.'
'Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life when this regime collapses,' the MAGA-supporting senator wrote.
'The oil economy of Iran will be essential to that endeavor.'
The US and Israel's main missions in the region is to halt ballistic missiles from being deployed and to thwart the county's nuclear development, Trump said last week.
A total of seven US servicemembers have been killed so far in the fighting. Trump has refused to rule out the possibility of US troops on the ground. The conflict entered its tenth day on Monday with no signs of slowing.