TEHRAN – Two football matches in Hazfi Cup were postponed because of air pollution in Tehran, capital of Iran.

Esteghlal match against Iranjavan Bushehr was canceled on Monday and Iran football officials also postponed a match between Persepolis and Sanat Naft in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.  

No new date for the fixtures has been announced.

Iran shut primary schools in the capital and other parts of the country on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday due to choking levels of air pollution.

A blanket of smog has covered neighborhoods in the capital in the past few days. Authorities also ordered mines and cement factories in Tehran province to close and reinforced regular traffic restrictions in the capital’s center.

In 2012, pollution contributed to the premature deaths of 4,500 people in Tehran and about 80,000 in the country, the health ministry said.