Iran International:

Iran is facing its most severe heatwave in 50 years causing nationwide power outages as the government struggles with billions of dollars' worth of deficit.

Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, Managing Director of Tavanir, the state electricity company in charge of the national power grid, emphasized the need for $5 billion annually to sustain the electricity production cycle.

However, Reza Khatibi, an economic journalist, told Iran International that this is only part of the issue. While the annual cost to meet electricity demand is $5 billion, an additional $3 billion is needed due to Iran's energy imbalance, totaling $8 billion annually.

“However, these budgets cannot be met due to Iran's limited revenue impacted by sanctions and the government's prioritization of funding proxy groups in the region. This economic pressure is making it increasingly difficult to cover energy costs, with the future and well-being of the people not being the country's priority,” Khatibi said, highlighting the severity of the economic challenges.

Media sources report that the residential grid experienced unannounced power cuts despite temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). In some central Tehran areas, power cuts have extended to four hours, up from the previous maximum of two hours during hot seasons. The power supply situation in southern provinces is even more critical, leading to the closure of some government offices. The outages have significantly disrupted industries, causing considerable disruption and eliciting complaints from business owners.

Several Iranian citizens have shared videos and voiced their frustrations regarding the daily power outages disrupting their lives. The blackouts have caused significant issues, from difficulties caring for patients at home to financial losses for businesses impacted by the interruptions.

One Iranian sent Iran International a video stating, "We have a severely ill patient at home who needs electricity for medical care equipment. These power outages have had a devastating impact on us, crippling our daily lives and creating severe hardships."

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