TEHRAN, Dec 11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Students and civil servants in parts of Iran
were ordered to stay home on Wednesday and Thursday due to "unhealthy" air
pollution, state media reported.

Tehran, where high pollution levels are common, has been engulfed in smog in
recent days.

The capital is located in the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains,
which tower over the city and trap polluted air.

This phenomenon, known as thermal inversion, is most pronounced during
winter, when cold air and a lack of wind can keep hazardous smog over the
city for days.

On Wednesday, local media announced the air quality in Tehran had reached
"unhealthy" levels, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 170.

All museums and banks, except for a few specific branches, were closed in the
capital.

The landmark Milad Tower, which stands at 435 metres, was barely visible on
Wednesday morning.

Pollution was also impacting other major cities, including Isfahan in central
Iran and Tabriz in the northwest.

Ahvaz in the southwest has also been experiencing high pollution levels, as
reported by state television.

Local media have attributed the pollution to the dilapidated state of some
industrial infrastructure, an ageing vehicle fleet and poor-quality gasoline.

In recent weeks, the government has also singled out the fuel used in certain
power plants as a contributing factor.

According to Iranian Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi, air pollution
is responsible for the premature deaths of approximately 50,000 people across
the country each year.

In recent years, Iranian authorities have repeatedly closed schools in
Tehran, including a week-long closure in 2019, due to air quality concerns.