As Tehran’s air quality remains “very unhealthy,” new data from the capital’s emergency services shows that 357 people have died over the past eight days, a figure that, according to the head of Tehran Province’s Emergency Organization, may have been influenced by severe air pollution.
Mohammad Esmaeil Tavakoli, head of Tehran’s Emergency Medical Services, announced on Sunday, November 29, 2025, that during this period, 57,000 emergency calls were recorded and 28,000 missions were carried out, 31 percent of which were related to pollution-associated health problems.
He criticized certain officials for neglecting the Clean Air Act, saying these individuals had set the law aside but now expect emergency teams to be deployed across the city on an urgent basis.
Tavakoli also stressed that Tehran’s EMS faces a shortage of 400 stations and 500 ambulances, warning that removing even a single ambulance from service could cause “irreparable harm.” He urged government authorities to address the shortages and existing crisis more seriously.
