US President-elect Donald Trump declined to rule out a war with Iran in an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday after repeatedly saying on the campaign trail that he did not seek to overthrow Tehran's theocratic rulers by force.
Trump was asked by a reporter from Time - which for the second time named him as the magazine's person of the year - what the chances of a war with Iran might be and citing allegations by US law enforcement that Iran sought to assassinate him.
"Anything can happen. Anything can happen. It's a very volatile situation," Trump replied, then quickly pivoting toward Ukraine and criticizing a decision by the Joe Biden administration to allow Ukraine to fire US long range missiles into Russia.
Trump lamented Biden policies he said have enriched and emboldened Iran and its armed allies in the region, again saying he would have kept them in check.
"We have some tremendous world problems that we didn't have when I was president. You know, when I left, we had, we had an Iran that was not very threatening. They had no money. They weren't giving money to Hamas. They weren't giving money to Hezbollah."
Trump's pick for national security advisor Mike Waltz on Wednesday credited Israel with weakening Iran by defeating its armed allies - "taking down the tentacles of the (Iranian) octopus" - but the incoming 47th president was appeared more circumspect.
"I don’t trust anybody," he said, when asked if he trusted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Asked about a meeting between world's richest man turned Trump superfan Elon Musk and Iranian diplomats in New York last month which was reported by US media outlets, the president-elect said he had no knowledge of it.
"I don't know that he met with them ... I don't know. He didn't tell me that."
Trump had said on election day November 5 that he wished Iran no harm but that Tehran cannot have nuclear weapons.
“My terms are very easy ... (Iran) can't have nuclear weapons," Trump said. "I’d like them to be a very successful country,” he added, but declined to detail specific plans for US-Iran relations.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to resolve US enmity with Iran through diplomacy and in a pre-election interview appeared to rule out seeking regime change there, saying: “We can't get totally involved in all that. We can't run ourselves".
But Trump in his first term withdrew the United States from an international deal over Iran's nuclear program, saying the Barack Obama-era agreement allowed Iran to shore up its finances and step up aid to armed allies in the Mideast.
His order to assassinate top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in 2020 earned him the lasting ire of Iran's rulers, who according to US law enforcement have been seeking to assassinate Trump and key aides in retaliation.
Government officials announced that the closures affecting both public and private institutions will continue through Thursday in several major cities including Tehran, Isfahan and Ahvaz.
The capital Tehran has seen its air quality deteriorate to the point where clean air days accounted for just 15% of the annual total over the past eight years. Nationwide, air pollution contributes to 25,000 deaths each year, according to official statistics.
The economic toll is also heavy, with air pollution costing the country an estimated $12 billion annually.
The crisis is not only disrupting education but also straining the healthcare system. In central Markazi Province, hospital official Behrooz Irannejad reported that 900 patients with respiratory and cardiac issues sought medical care in one city, Arak, between October 22 and December 10 due to pollution.
Davood Mirshekar, an air quality official in southwestern Khuzestan, announced similar closures across the province. In the central city of Isfahan, elementary and middle schools have switched to remote learning due to stagnant air conditions which have left pollution stubbornly in place.
Ahvaz in the south remains the most polluted city in Iran, with 55% of its days classified as polluted.
Sedigheh Torabi, deputy director of the Department of Environment, attributed this to a mix of natural pollutants such as dust storms and human-generated emissions from power plants, industries and waste burning.
A 2017 Clean Air Law designed to tackle air pollution has been largely ignored. Of the 174 obligations assigned to 23 government agencies, less than half have been implemented over seven years.
Critics argue that the government has prioritized social regulations like the controversial hijab law over addressing environmental concerns.
Outdated vehicles and automaker responsibility
Transportation accounts for 60% of Iran’s air pollution, according to Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raeisi.
Eleven million of 12 million motorcycles and 2.5 million of 14 million vehicles are outdated, exacerbating the crisis. The automakers Iran Khodro and Saipa have come under fire for not tightening emissions standards.
A law requiring the replacement of aging vehicles was abandoned during Hassan Rouhani's presidency, aggravating the issue.
While outdated vehicles play a significant role, air pollution persists even during periods of reduced traffic, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that industrial emissions and low-quality fuels also significantly contribute to the crisis.
Sanctions and government efforts to keep fuel prices low have led to the use of an oil product called naphtha, a cheap but highly polluting alternative.
In May 2024 the government invested $3 billion to produce naphtha.
Reformist newspapers have highlighted the issue, but official data on the extent of its use remains unavailable.
Iran’s use of mazut, a low-quality heavy fuel oil, for energy production has also become a significant environmental and public health concern. Faced with a shortage of natural gas during colder months, Iran has increasingly relied on mazut in its power plants and industries, exacerbating already severe air pollution levels in major cities.
Iran’s air pollution crisis underscores the need for comprehensive reforms. From enforcing environmental laws to modernizing transportation and regulating industrial emissions, the country has yet to address its environmental challenges to protect public health and reduce economic losses.
