Annual Deaths of 50,000 Citizens Due to Air Pollution in Iran

The Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic confirmed that in the past year, 50,000 citizens in Iran have lost their lives due to air pollution. According to a report by the government news agency Tasnim on Monday, February 1, Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi stated that the mortality rate due to air pollution constitutes '12.56 percent' of total deaths in Iran, adding that even by the Islamic Republic's standards, which differ from global standards, the air in Iranian cities has been polluted for 247 days of the year. In recent weeks, the Deputy Executive of the Islamic Republic government also mentioned that more than 50,000 citizens die annually due to air pollution. Concurrently, Meysam Mozi, the Deputy of Treatment at Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, reported that on January 29 and 30 alone, over 1,500 individuals sought treatment at medical centers in the city due to the effects of air pollution. According to this health official, 188 out of 1,512 citizens who visited emergency rooms with 'non-infectious respiratory and cardiac issues caused by air pollution' were hospitalized. Air pollution has become a daily problem in Iran, and the Islamic Republic's solution has been unexpected and repeated closures in various cities. Sahar Naseri, a political activist, previously stated to Voice of America that the environment is not a priority for the Islamic Republic. While the officials of the Islamic Republic are struggling to resolve crises such as air pollution, electricity shortages, and controlling foreign currency rates, they attempt to attribute these issues to what they call 'enemy psychological operations.' Observers consider the government officials as a 'delusional group' and a cause of the 'bankruptcy tsunami.'