Iran International:

Iran has announced sweeping closures across multiple provinces including the capital this week due to soaring temperatures amid severe electricity and water shortages.

Alireza Fakhari, the governor general of Tehran province on Monday announced the closure of all government offices, schools, and universities on Wednesday due to soaring temperatures and the need to manage energy consumption.

Fakhari said the decision followed a request from the country's energy ministry.

Other provinces are also implementing closures or reducing working hours this week.

Offices in Ardabil and Golestan will be closed on Tuesday, while those in Semnan, Qom, Ilam, Gilan, and Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari have reduced working hours.

On Wednesday, offices in Kerman, Hormozgan, Isfahan, Gilan, East and West Azerbaijan, and Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari will also be shut.

In Hamedan, office hours on both Tuesday and Wednesday will be limited to 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Similar closures were ordered last month on Wednesday July 23 as Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of a worsening water shortage.

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.

Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said the shutdown of July 23 cut national power demand by 19,000 megawatt-hours and reduced Tehran’s water usage by 3,800 liters per second.

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