Other plants have shut down, resulting in power cuts in various cities, including the capital, Tehran. Officials there said last Wednesday that pollution levels had become “dangerous”, ISNA reported. Gas has become scarce because it’s used to heat most Iranian homes, and temperatures have been especially cold this winter. Household use has also increased as people stay at home to avoid coronavirus infection, while travel in private vehicles has shot up as people shun mass transport. Household gas consumption was up by 30 per cent in late November from a month earlier, Mohammadreza Joulaei, director of supply at the National Iranian Gas Company told state TV.