Schools in Iran's Tehran province will be closed for the next two days over rising levels of air pollution, authorities announced on Friday, following similar measures last week. The decision was made in a meeting of an emergency committee on air pollution and announced by deputy governor Mohammad Taghizadeh, according to state TV.

An "odd-even" traffic scheme - based on the last number on vehicle registrations, with odd numbers allowed access one day and even numbers the next - will be imposed to restrict traffic, Taghizadeh said. Trucks will be banned outright and construction and mining activities halted. "Considering the level of air pollution, citizens are asked to refrain from unnecessary movements across the (capital) city (of Tehran) and use public transport," Taghizadeh said.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019