Esmail Kahrom, a former adviser to the Environmental Protection Organization of Iran’s regime, criticized the regime’s environmental policies and said the government could solve the problem of mazut fuel quality in Iran by redirecting the money it spends on part of its missile production. Kahrom is a well-known environmental expert in Iran.
On Sunday, November 30, Kahrom told the state-run Jamarān website: “If people and their health mattered to the officials, each missile that is manufactured costs two million dollars, and with the money for ten missiles we can standardize our mazut. We do not do it because the priorities are something else.”
He warned that the mazut used in Iran contains sulfur “seven times the global standard,” and the quality of gasoline used in the country is “not suitable.”
Contrary to earlier promises by officials of Iran’s regime, burning mazut has become an official and relied-upon option for the government in managing the energy crisis, and this practice is still ongoing.
Kahrom’s comments come amid a severe air-pollution crisis in Iran’s major cities, which has caused serious harm to public health and forced the closure of many educational centers.
The reference to the regime’s missile-building costs comes at a time when Iran’s regime is under extensive international sanctions because of its nuclear and missile ambitions.
Nevertheless, Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran’s regime, and other senior officials have stressed the continuation of these programs despite global concerns.
Sulfur in Iran’s diesel fuel is 1,500 times the global standard
Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for the Oil Exporters Union, said Sunday that diesel fuel in Iran generates more pollution than gasoline and warned: “Our diesel has 1,500 times the global sulfur standard.” Hosseini is a well-known figure in Iran’s Chamber of Commerce.
In an interview with the state-run Didban Iran website, he added: “Out of 20 million registered passenger cars, about nine million are worn-out—vehicles whose fuel quality and performance are both substandard.”
Excessive gasoline consumption on Tehran’s streets
According to this member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, there are about four million motorcycles in Tehran, and this fleet plays a major role in air pollution.
Hosseini also commented on the excessive gasoline consumption by vehicles in Tehran, saying: “A car should travel 20 to 25 kilometers daily in Tehran, but vehicles working for Snapp (Iran’s main ride-hailing service) or as taxis may drive up to ten times that amount each day.”
He added: “These vehicles are not up to standard and are often worn-out, producing ten times the pollution of a typical car. They may consume 30 liters of gasoline per day, while the national average fuel consumption for cars is about six liters.”
The spokesperson of the Oil Exporters Union called on the government to allocate part of the revenue from the gasoline price increase to “scrapping worn-out vehicles.”
This comes while the government of Masoud Pezeshkian, despite approving gasoline at 50,000 rials per liter, has not announced any intention to assist with vehicle renewal.
