Students, employees told to stay home due to air pollution in Iran

Tehran: Students and civil servants in parts of Iran were ordered to stay home on Wednesday and Thursday due to unhealthy air pollution, state media...

Tehran: Students and civil servants in parts of Iran were ordered to stay home on Wednesday and Thursday due to "unhealthy" air pollution, state media reported.

Tehran, where high pollution levels are common, has been engulfed in smog in recent days.

The capital is located in the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains, which tower over the city and trap polluted air.

This phenomenon, known as thermal inversion, is most pronounced during winter, when cold air and a lack of wind can keep hazardous smog over the city for days.

On Wednesday, local media announced the air quality in Tehran had reached "unhealthy" levels, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 170.