Over 7,000 Air Pollution-Related Deaths Reported in Tehran in 2024

Over 7,000 Air Pollution-Related Deaths Reported in Tehran in 2024
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Annual average PM2.5 levels in Tehran remain far above World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds, with the city recording only 15 days in 2024 within guideline limits, the news was reported by Iran Front Page. Authorities say air pollution contributed to more than 7,000 deaths in the capital this year, marking a slight increase compared to 2023.

In response to recurring winter smog, Abbas Shahsavani, a member of Iran’s Parliament Environment Committee, has proposed temporary winter school closures to protect vulnerable groups, especially children, from dangerous pollution exposure.

He stressed that such closures are a health protection measure rather than a pollution-reduction strategy, adding that emergency committees advise shifting to virtual classes when air quality reaches critical levels.

Shahsavani said the real solution lies in fully enforcing the Clean Air Act, passed in 2017, which has yet to bring significant improvement. He noted that occasional drops in pollution levels are due to weather conditions rather than policy measures.

The MP urged the government to focus on cutting emissions by phasing out old diesel vehicles and supplying cleaner fuel to power plants, warning that without tackling root causes, Tehran’s severe air quality crisis will persist.