Cartoon by Monireh Ahmadi

How The IRGC’s ‘Industrial Mafia’ Engineered Iran’s Pollution Crisis – 

By Shamsi Saadati

Eurasia Review: On Thursday, December 11, 2025, Ali Khamenei, the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader, met with a group of government eulogists. In a display of callous indifference reminiscent of his denial of the COVID-19 pandemic—which he famously dismissed as “not a big calamity”—Khamenei downplayed the environmental catastrophe suffocating the nation. He referred to the suffocating dust storms and pollution in Khuzestan as “one of the smallest problems,” claiming that the Islamic Republic continues to “progress” despite these issues.

While the regime’s leader lives in denial, the reality for the Iranian people is a daily struggle for survival. Khamenei’s claims of progress stand in stark contrast to the medical emergency unfolding in Khuzestan. Just a day prior to his speech, the head of medical sciences at Jundishapur University in Ahvaz reported a 20 percent increase in patients suffering from heart and lung diseases compared to the previous year. The province is currently gripped by a crisis of air pollution combined with a new wave of influenza, forcing hospitals to operate at capacity.

A toll higher than war

Air pollution in Iran is no longer an environmental issue; it is a “silent massacre.” According to the regime’s own Ministry of Health, in the Persian year 1403 (March 2024–March 2025), approximately 58,975 deaths were attributed to exposure to PM2.5 particles. This translates to 161 deaths per day, or roughly seven deaths every hour.

Official statistics indicate that one person dies every nine minutes in Iran due to air pollution. The mortality rate attributed to pollution stands at 70 people per 100,000, a staggering figure compared to countries like those in Scandinavia, where the rate is just 10 per 100,000. These “silent deaths” are part of a broader cycle of mortality under Khamenei’s rule, alongside the execution of prisoners every two hours and road fatalities occurring every 25 minutes.

The economic cost of this negligence is equally devastating. In 1403 alone, the economic damage resulting from deaths attributed to air pollution was estimated at $17.2 billion. This amounts to roughly 47 million dollars lost every single day.

The IRGC’s industrial mafia

The primary culprit behind this environmental genocide is not nature, but the monopolies held by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and institutions controlled by Khamenei’s office. Environmental reports identify three main sources of pollution, all of which are dominated by the IRGC’s industrial-military complex:

1- Toxic fuel in power plants: To export natural gas for hard currency, the regime forces power plants to burn low-quality mazut (heavy fuel oil). The Montazer-Qaem power plant in Karaj was found burning mazut with sulfur levels of 28,451 mg/kg—135 times the standard limit. Similarly, the Rajaee power plant in Qazvin used fuel with sulfur levels 592 times the permissible limit.

2- Polluting industries: Major industries such as steel, cement, and petrochemicals are largely owned or contracted by the IRGC. These facilities operate without standard filtration systems to maximize profits, pumping toxins directly into the lungs of the populace.

3- Worn-out fleet and sub-standard fuel: The IRGC’s involvement in the automotive and motorcycle industries has resulted in the mass production of low-quality vehicles. There are over 24 million worn-out vehicles in the country. Furthermore, regime sources admit that in 83 percent of cases, the fuel used in these vehicles does not meet safety standards.

Systemic incompetence and disregard for life

Despite the passing of the “Clean Air Law” seven years ago, reports indicate that only about 12 to 30 percent of its provisions have been implemented. The regime’s priorities lie elsewhere, leading to a chaotic situation where different factions blame one another while the people suffocate.

The disregard for human life is evident in the regime’s management of the crisis. While health officials warn that pollution causes severe damage even to healthy individuals, other officials prioritize appearances over public health. In Tehran, authorities have refused to close schools during peak pollution days, with one official arguing that closures shouldn’t happen because “students’ GPAs might drop.”

The air pollution crisis in Iran is the product of a “polluted structure.” Decisions regarding the nation’s energy and economy are made not in specialized institutions, but in the commercial and military boardrooms of the IRGC. As long as this mafia controls the country, the Iranian people remain hostages in a vast gas chamber.