As severe air pollution persists in Tehran and other cities in Iran—including 21 cities in Khuzestan Province that are currently in red and orange alert levels—people are growing increasingly frustrated with the authorities’ continued disregard for public health.
Tehran’s Air Quality Control Company announced on Saturday, July 5, that the air quality index (AQI) in the capital has reached 159, indicating a “red” level of pollution that is unhealthy for the entire population.
Iran’s Health Ministry: 30,692 Deaths Due to Air Pollution Last Year
The company added that over the past 24 hours, the average AQI in Tehran stood at 153, which is dangerous for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and individuals with cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses.
Unhealthy air is denoted with the color red, very unhealthy with purple, and hazardous conditions with brown. Additionally, in the past three days, the concentration of airborne particulate matter in the capital has increased.
Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that the average air quality index in Tehran over the past 24 hours reached 324, indicating a hazardous level.
According to the report, the main pollutant currently affecting Tehran’s air is particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5).
Air Pollution in Other Provinces
According to data from the Air Quality Monitoring System, on July 5, the air in 21 cities of Khuzestan Province was classified as red or orange, while the city of Hamidiyeh reached the purple level, indicating “very hazardous” conditions.
Exposure to this level of pollution can result in long-term negative effects, such as lung damage or increased risk of chronic illnesses.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Fallah-Nejad, Director General of Crisis Management at the Alborz Province Governorate, issued a yellow-level weather warning for the province and urged vulnerable groups—including children, the elderly, and individuals with heart or respiratory conditions—to avoid outdoor exposure.
He stated that wind gusts have led to dust storms and increased air pollution in most parts of Alborz Province, adding: “This situation will persist until Sunday evening next week, after which air quality is expected to improve starting Monday.”
Environmental Crisis, Air Pollution, and Mismanagement of Iran’s Resources
The public relations office of the Department of Environmental Protection in Qom Province announced in a statement that on July 5, the air quality index reached 114, placing it in the unhealthy category.
According to the report, more than 24 active dust-producing hotspots have been identified in Qom Province, significantly contributing to the rise in air pollution.
The Meteorological Department of Markazi Province also warned that increased easterly wind speeds across the central desert regions of the country are leading to more dust transmission and local dust storms in vulnerable areas of the province.
Experts warn that ongoing drought, the expansion of dust storm sources, and an extreme heatwave could make for a critical summer in Iran.
