The Islamic Republic of Iran decreed for the first time the almost total shutdown of the country, Wednesday August 2 and Thursday August 3, due to an unprecedented heat wave. For two days, banks, schools, universities, public administrations and some private companies will remain closed. In many regions, the temperature has experienced an unprecedented increase since the beginning of July, especially in the south of the country, where it has exceeded the 50°C mark.
“Given the unprecedented heat of the next few days and to protect public health, the government has accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Health to declare Wednesday and Thursday public holidays throughout the country”government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said in a Twitter post on May 1er august. According to Iranian authorities, the number of visits to medical centers in Iran has tripled due to this heat wave. Emergency services in many cities across the country have been on high alert for days.
Despite official statements that the heat wave is behind the closures, there are many indications that this decision is linked to the shortage of electricity in the country. What the Iranian daily Payame Maciting “a well-informed source”confirms in its edition of 1er august. “In addition to the increase in temperatures, the fall in electricity production is behind the decision to shut down the country”, can we read in this publication. The daily also cites the example of two power stations, Karoun 3 and 4, located in the west of the country, which, because of very strong pressure, in particular due to increased use of air conditioning in the country , have been disconnected from the network.
Power and water cuts
In Iran, the very poor state of infrastructure, worn out and failing, has led, especially this year, to the frequent stoppage of power plant activities. Power and water cuts have been reported, sometimes for ten hours at a time, in Tehran and other cities since June.
For his part, the director of the think tank on water of the United Nations, Kaveh Madani, sees in Tehran’s decision to put the country in virtual shutdown a mismanagement of resources by the Islamic Republic of Iran, because the he country’s electricity is primarily produced by thermal and hydroelectric power stations.
“Even if you have built a hundred dams, without good management there will be a lack of water”he wrote on his Twitter account. “The failure of water reserves, the shortage of electricity and gas [alors que l’Iran possède les deuxièmes réserves mondiales de gaz naturel] cannot be resolved by shutdowns and closures”, continues the man who previously served as the deputy of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization under former President Hassan Rouhani (2013-2021). Kaveh Madani was forced to resign in 2018 and leave Iran under pressure from the secret services, at the hands of the toughest.
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