The story: Hazardous levels of air pollution have returned to major Iranian cities with the arrival of the cold season. Schools and universities in Tehran and several other urban centers have been forced to close and hold remote classes.

Officials and the media have expressed concern, with some criticizing the Ebrahim Raisi administration while others blame previous governments. This comes amid reports of a surge in deaths related to air pollution in the past year.

The coverage: Iranian authorities on Dec. 17 closed schools and universities in the capital and other major cities because of dangerous levels of air pollution.

• Classes were held remotely between Dec. 18-20 and polluting factories were told to close.
  
  
• Power plants near the capital were not allowed to burn low-quality mazut fuel, which environment officials see as one of the culprits of the worsening air quality.

The Raisi administration has faced criticism...