TEHRAN – Shina Ansari, the head of the Department of Environment (DOE), has said that the aging transportation fleet is a major source of air pollution in the country, so renewing the transportation system is the best way to deal with the problem.

Air pollution is one of the major environmental challenges in the country, particularly in metropolitan cities such as Tehran and Mashhad, with numerous adverse impacts on people’s health as well as the economy of society, IRNA quoted Ansari as saying.

The official made the remarks on the occasion of the National Clean Air Week, held from January 18 to 22, with the theme of ‘transportation renewal, a fresh breath for a city’.

Highlighting the role of DOE as the main responsible organization to implement the clean air law, Ansari said modernizing the transportation fleet, expanding public transportation, improving supervision over vehicle technical inspections, and increasing supervision over automobile manufacturing are among the most important strategies to reduce pollutant emissions from mobile sources.

She went on to say that each worn-out car emits nine times more pollutants than a modern car, while consuming twice fuel.

Over the past years, the clean air law and the scrapping of old cars have not been effectively implemented. However, in the Iranian year 1403 (March 2024 – March 2025), a total of 350,000 old vehicles were scrapped. Since 1403, about 530,000 vehicles have been dismantled in the country, she further noted.

The official called on all responsible bodies to make transportation renewal their top priority.

National Clean Air Week provides a great opportunity to highlight the direct relation between the environment and health, raise public awareness about the adverse impact of air pollution, and figure out practical ways to address the problem.

This year, the days of the week were named as follows.

Sunday, January 18, ‘green tax, responsible industry, clean air’

Monday, January 19, ‘green industry and clean air’

Tuesday, January 20, ‘green transportation, a fresh breath for a city’

Wednesday, January 21, ‘efficient governance: enforcing clean air law’

Thursday, January 22, ‘clean air and public participation’

In December 2025, the deputy health minister, Alireza Raeisi, urged the implementation of the clean air law as air pollution accounts for 57,000 deaths in the country annually.

The clean air law has clarified the duties of each government body, but there are still problems in law enforcement. Public health should be prioritized in macro-decisions, and funds generated from environmental crimes should be spent on reducing pollutants and compensating for health damages, the health ministry’s website quoted Raeisi as saying.

The official made the remarks while addressing a meeting titled ‘polluted air; causes, consequences, and solutions’.

He also stressed the importance of scientific and systematic management of air pollution, saying that the current crisis, which has developed over decades, is threatening the health of people, particularly vulnerable groups.

Air pollution is not limited to Iran; it is a global issue. However, it requires serious ongoing measures, scientific governance, comprehensive planning, and precise implication of policies to manage the challenge, the official added.

He noted that industrial development and employment are important, but do not justify ignoring people’s health.

He went on to say that the measures of the government, such as increasing the number of electric vehicles, scrapping old ones, as well as utilizing clean energy, will significantly contribute to reducing air pollution.

With more than 250 sunny days per year, Iran has a high capacity for solar energy production, and moving towards clean energy, which will simultaneously help reduce air pollution and strengthen the green economy, Raeisi added.

Numerous scientific studies on particles show that exposure to the particles causes many health problems, including premature death in patients with heart and lung diseases, non-fatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, lung cancer, exacerbation of asthma, decreased lung function, increased respiratory symptoms, reduction in fertility rates, and ultimately leads to a decrease in life expectancy.

Air pollution also accounts for 2,029 and 661 deaths in Isfahan and Arak, respectively. The costs of air pollution on the health system in Isfahan amount to 796 million dollars, and in Arak, it is equal to 2 million 564 thousand dollars.

Environmental regulations, the enforcement of strict laws, and the development of renewable energy are essential to curb air pollution.

MT/MG