Iran's air pollution crisis claims lives of 30,000 people

Some 30,000 people in Iran have died due to air pollution over the past year.

Proceeding from the statistics, Head of the Environmental Committee of the Iranian Parliament Somayeh Rafiei criticised officials for their inaction on the issue, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

She stated that despite the rising levels of air pollution, which have led to the deaths of tens of thousands, officials are taking no action to address the issue.

Rafiei emphasised that the increase in mortality rates indicates that the Clean Air Act is not being fully implemented in Iran.

In recent years, air pollution has emerged as a significant issue in Iran's major cities, representing a critical risk factor for cancer and other fatal diseases.  

"Air pollution accelerates the onset of cancer and heart attacks for those already at risk. We estimate that around 30,000 people die each year across the country due to air pollution," deputy head of the research and technology department at the Iranian Health Ministry Reza Melkzadeh said earlier.

By Naila Huseynova