With a drop in temperatures across various regions of Iran, officials in 15 provinces announced the closure of schools to “manage energy consumption.”
Schools in the provinces of West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Tehran, North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, Zanjan, Semnan, Qazvin, Qom, Kermanshah, Golestan, and Mazandaran were declared closed and shifted to remote learning for Sunday, December 15.
In Khuzestan Province, schools were also closed due to air pollution and a red alert for dust storms.
Government offices and institutions in most of these provinces were also declared closed, with only Semnan and Golestan provinces starting operations with a two-hour delay.
Provincial authorities cited “the arrival of a precipitation system and a cold front in the country, along with the need to manage energy consumption” as the reasons for these closures.
A few days ago, Saeed Tavakoli, CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company, stated that gas reserves are at their lowest levels this year and warned that gas shortages would worsen in the coming days as temperatures drop further.
Meanwhile, Iranian regime President Massoud Pezeshkian urged people to “lower their home heating by at least two degrees” as winter approaches, so his government could conserve more fuel and distribute it more effectively.
Gas shortages have become a serious challenge in Iran in recent years, and it was recently announced that a mazut (heavy fuel oil) shortage has also compounded the problem.
A few days ago, Mohsen Zabihi, Deputy Coordinator for Distribution at Iran’s Power Generation and Distribution Company (TAVANIR), attributed power outages in various regions to “insufficient fuel deliveries to power plants.”
Widespread blackouts have returned to Iranian cities despite the Ministry of Energy announcing less than three weeks ago that “blackouts have ended” and the fuel crisis at power plants had been resolved.
Power outages have caused various issues, including water disruptions in residential buildings. A few days ago, the Ministry of Communications also announced that internet disruptions were due to power cuts.
On the other hand, many social media users have criticized mismanagement in the unscheduled and unannounced power cuts, as well as delays in announcing school closures.
Over the past ten days, air quality indices in Tehran have consistently been recorded as unhealthy or unhealthy for all.
Gas Shortage Crisis in Iran Despite Being the Holder of the World’s Second-Largest Natural Gas Reserves
Iran, with the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves, is recognized as one of the largest potential producers and exporters of this energy resource.
