Iran International:

Iranian officials are considering formal Wednesday shutdowns to create three-day weekends and a full summer week off amid worsening water and power outages caused by extreme heat and falling reservoir levels across the country.

On Wednesday, July 23, the Islamic Republic tried shutting down government offices, and it cut national power demand by 19,000 megawatt-hours and reduced Tehran’s water usage by 3,800 liters per second, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said on Sunday.

Repeating the closure for four weeks could lower the capital’s consumption by six million cubic meters, he added.

IRGC-aligned Tasnim News Agency described the trial closure as effective, citing a 10 percent decline in Tehran’s daily water use, from up to four million cubic meters down to about 3.4 million.

Iran's government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said Sunday that authorities are considering a full summer week off, with a final decision expected on Wednesday.

Iran has recently faced an unprecedented heatwave, and many natural and engineered water reservoirs across the country particularly in Tehran, Alborz and Fars provinces are nearly depleted.

In the capital Tehran, officials have attempted to curb consumption through emergency measures, including repeated water and electricity outages.

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