Schools and Offices in Over 20 Provinces of Iran Announced Closed Again

Heavy snowfall and rain, along with a drop in temperature in some provinces of Iran, have led to the closure of schools and offices across most of the country. In addition to the complete closure of offices, courts, and schools in Tehran, provincial officials in at least 22 other provinces announced on Sunday, March 5, that due to snowfall, cold weather, and energy imbalance, schools and offices in these provinces would be closed on Tuesday, March 6. Accordingly, schools and offices in the provinces of Ilam, Mazandaran, Gilan, Golestan, Isfahan, Markazi, Kerman, and Hamadan, as well as Semnan, Kurdistan, and Ardabil, have been declared closed. Furthermore, schools and offices in East and West Azerbaijan, Razavi and South Khorasan, Qazvin, Zanjan, Alborz, Fars, Lorestan, Kermanshah, and Qom will also be closed on Tuesday, March 6. The Ministry of Education announced that due to school closures in some provinces, schools across the country would conduct classes virtually on Tuesday, March 6. However, some social media users have reported that in several provinces where schools are declared closed on Tuesday, virtual education will not take place either. According to reports, all schools that are closed on Tuesday are required to turn off their heating systems to conserve fuel. The Meteorological Organization had previously predicted heavy cumulative snowfall, snowstorms, fog, frost, significant temperature drops, and strong winds for the coming days, stating that the cold weather system entered the country on Saturday, March 4, and would continue until Tuesday, March 6. The closure of schools under the pretext of continued snowfall and cold weather comes even as none of the weather applications indicate below-zero temperatures or snow and rain for many of these closed provinces. Schools in Tehran and many provinces of Iran have repeatedly been closed or partially closed in recent days, weeks, and months for various reasons, including air pollution, dust storms, cold weather, and energy imbalance.