Environment

Iranwire – A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the town of Riz in the Jam district of southern Bushehr province on Monday evening. The tremor occurred at 8:29 p.m. at a depth of 20 kilometers, according to Kourosh Dehghan, the director of crisis management for Bushehr province. The epicenter was located in Fars Province, 20 kilometers from Riz, 34 kilometers …

iranintl – Air pollution caused more than 40,000 deaths in Iran last year, Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi revealed, marking a sharp rise of 10 to 12 percent compared to previous years. “The majority of these deaths were due to cardiovascular diseases, strokes, respiratory issues, and cancers,” Raisi said in a Saturday interview. He described the growing toll as a …

Iranwire – Standing atop a mountain in Marivan, Aalan feels the cool breeze against his cheeks as he gazes at the oak-covered hills stretching before him. The view fills him with both fear and urgency. These ancient Zagros forests are under threat, and protecting them has become his mission – and the mission of hundreds of others through the Zagrosana …

iranintl – Government offices, schools, and universities in Tehran were shuttered on Thursday as the country’s ongoing energy crisis escalated in a week of shutdowns across Iran. Tehran’s Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, said closures of facilities this week have had little impact on reducing energy consumption or alleviating pollution. “The closures have merely shifted the crisis from one point to …

RFL/RE – Despite sitting atop the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves, energy shortages have become a feature of winters in Iran. Iran grapples with air pollution all year, but air quality significantly worsens during winter when power plants are forced to burn low-quality heavy fuel oil — mazut — to compensate for the lack of gas. A rare cold snap in recent weeks has exposed …

Iranwire – An environmental disaster is unfolding on the streets of Tehran and across Iran. The air has turned toxic, transforming entire cities into what residents call “gas chambers,” which could suffocate the population. This is not an exaggeration but a grim reality millions of Iranians face. The crisis knows no bounds. Whether in Tehran, the capital, or smaller towns …

Iranwire – The sun scorches the cracked earth of Isfahan, where the Zayandehrud River, once a lifeline, now stands as a ghostly reminder of ecological collapse. Farmers stand on its dry riverbed, their weathered faces etched with anger and desperation. “We won’t return home until water flows in the river,” they declare – a cry that echoes the larger tragedy …

iranwire – Authorities in Tehran and Alborz provinces have ordered the closure of schools, universities, and government offices due to critically poor air quality. All schools, universities, and government offices in Tehran province, except in the Damavand and Firouzkoh districts, will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday. Tehran Province officials cited rising pollution levels as the reason for the closures. …

iranintl – The worsening air pollution in Tehran has prompted authorities to suspend in-person classes, restrict vehicle movement, and cancel sports activities to protect public health. The Deputy Coordinator for Urban Affairs of Tehran Province announced Saturday that kindergartens, preschools, and special education institutions would remain closed on Sunday, with elementary school classes shifting online for the day. “Given the …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s security forces have arrested a religious leader and two environmental activists after they protested mining operations in Taftan city, Sistan and Baluchistan province. Intelligence forces arrested Molavi Davood Tamandani, imam of Koteh village, and social activist Nazar Tamandani. The arrests followed the earlier detention of Karimbakhsh Kurdi-Tamandani, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. …