Air pollution returned to Iran’s capital and several other cities, pushing air quality back into unhealthy levels for vulnerable groups and prompting renewed health warnings, according to official data released on Friday.
The city’s average air quality index (AQI) reached 116 on Friday, placing it in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, Tehran’s Air Quality Control Company said. The figure marked a sharp deterioration from the previous 24-hour average of 83, which had indicated acceptable conditions.
Since the start of the current Iranian year in March, Tehran has recorded only six days of clean air. Official figures show the capital has experienced 130 days of acceptable air quality, 113 days classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, 20 unhealthy days for the general population, two very unhealthy days and two days deemed hazardous.
The renewed pollution prompted health warnings urging people with heart and lung disease, children, pregnant women and the elderly to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, IRNA, the state-run news agency, reported on Friday.
Chronic crisis in major cities
Air quality is measured on a scale in which AQI levels between zero and 50 indicate clean air, 51 to 100 acceptable conditions, 101 to 150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 unhealthy for all, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and 301 to 500 hazardous.
Air pollution has become one of Iran’s most serious public health and environmental challenges in recent years. Major cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad and Ahvaz regularly experience prolonged periods of unhealthy air, particularly during colder months when temperature inversions trap pollutants close to the ground.
Public frustration has grown as pollution episodes intensify, with many citizens saying that simply breathing clean air has become a daily struggle. Environmental specialists have long warned that weak enforcement, aging vehicle fleets and reliance on highly polluting fuels have worsened the problem.
Critics say government policies, including the burning of heavy fuel oil at power plants during energy shortages, have played a direct role in exacerbating pollution, exposing millions of residents to serious health risks.
Khuzestan cities also affected
Air pollution also affected several cities in the southern province of Khuzestan on Friday. Data from the National Air Quality Monitoring Center showed AQI levels reaching 153 in Khorramshahr and 152 in Molasani, both classified as unhealthy for all population groups.
Other cities, including Abadan, Shushtar, Karun and Haftkel, recorded AQI levels between 108 and 136, placing them in the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups range. Local media advised residents with underlying health conditions, as well as children and the elderly, to avoid strenuous outdoor activity.
The pollution wave comes as seasonal influenza cases rise across Iran, compounding respiratory health risks. In August, Abbas Shahsavani, deputy head of the Air Quality and Climate Change Research Center at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, said more than 35,000 deaths nationwide in the previous year were attributed to air pollution, underscoring the scale of a crisis that remains largely unresolved.
Iranian media reported that prices for various types of nuts and dried fruit have risen between 40 percent and, in some cases such as pistachios and cashews, up to 100 percent compared with last year.
Yalda is an ancient Iranian celebration marking the longest night of the year, observed on the winter solstice, usually on December 20 or 21. Families and friends gather after sunset to stay awake through the night, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and the gradual return of longer days.
Dideban Iran, citing official data, said the surge reflects higher production costs, currency volatility and rising packaging expenses, according to traders active in the sector.
Vendors told the outlet that demand has dropped markedly compared with last year, despite Yalda being one of Iran’s most important traditional celebrations, when families typically gather around tables filled with fruit, nuts and sweets.
The evening centres on shared food, especially pomegranates and watermelon, which are associated with health, renewal, and the memory of summer. A common ritual is fal-e Hafez, the practice of opening the poetry book of Hafez and reading verses believed to offer insight or guidance. Rooted in pre-Islamic traditions and linked to Zoroastrian ideas of light and renewal, Yalda remains a widely observed cultural event in Iran, bringing together generations around storytelling, poetry, and collective resilience against the cold and dark of winter.
Instalment sales
The prices for Yalda nuts were up 40 to 45 percent year on year, Mehdi Bakhtiari-Zadeh, acting head of Tehran’s municipal fruit and vegetable markets organization, said on Wednesday. The retail price of a kilogram of sweet nut mix this year, he said, stands at about 6,660,000 rials (around $5), compared with roughly 4,000,000 to 4,500,000 rials ($3 to 3.5) last year.
Average monthly income for workers in Iran in 2025 is generally less than $150.
With household purchasing power eroded, Dideban Iran reported that some shops have resorted to alternative sales methods, including instalment plans and even accepting checks, to attract customers unwilling or unable to pay upfront.
Sweets shrink as costs climb
Rising costs have also hit the confectionery sector. The ILNA news agency quoted Ali Bahremand, head of Tehran’s confectioners and pastry sellers union, as saying there is no shortage of raw materials, but high prices have pushed consumers toward buying smaller quantities, often half-kilogram boxes instead of larger ones.
According to Bahremand’s remarks, the prices of key inputs such as cooking oil and eggs have increased by about 167 percent and 200 percent respectively compared with the same period last year, contributing to a sharp fall in overall sweet purchases.
The price hikes come amid broader increases in basic goods approved by the government in recent months. Citizens have told Iran International that dairy prices, another key ingredient for Yalda treats, have risen sharply, with some families saying such products have already been removed from their diets, underscoring how traditional celebrations are increasingly shaped by economic strain.
