Speaking in a televised interview Friday evening, Motamedian said recent decisions to manage air pollution were necessary. Without them, forecasts showed pollution concentrations would have increased, pushing Tehran into a more critical situation. He said coordinated measures by government agencies helped prevent the crisis from worsening.

Motamedian outlined the actions taken during the week of severe pollution, saying a series of restrictions and oversight measures based on the national crisis management plan and the Clean Air Act were implemented to control emissions and reduce public exposure to unhealthy air.

He noted the high share of polluting vehicles in the capital, saying the national task force on emission reduction reported that a significant portion of the country’s high-emission vehicles operate in Tehran. The city also has about 4.2 million active motorcycles, more than 70 percent of them over 20 years old and mostly dilapidated and polluting. Each polluting motorcycle produces as much emissions as four cars and consumes more than 8 liters of fuel, he added.

Motamedian said that since the start of the 14th administration last year, vehicle scrappage has increased at an unprecedented pace, with more than 350,000 vehicles removed from circulation. In the seven years before the current administration, only 270 vehicles were scrapped, he said. Although this still falls short of the Clean Air Act requirement, he added, it shows the government is taking effective steps to manage emissions and renew the fleet.

Under the Seventh Development Plan, the government is obligated to scrap 500,000 vehicles annually, Motamedian said. He expressed hope that with the Industry, Mine and Trade Ministry’s programs and cooperation from other agencies, this goal will be achieved.