Severe natural gas shortages forced the closure of government offices and schools across nearly two-thirds of Iran’s provinces on Saturday, amid declining production and high winter consumption.
Officials say the closures, which necessitated online schooling, aim to manage dwindling resources.
Hassan Mousavi, spokesperson for the National Iranian Gas Company, said gas consumption on January 10 rose significantly compared to the same day last year.
“605 million cubic meters of natural gas were allocated to the residential, commercial, and small-scale industrial sectors on Friday, which represents a 10 percent increase compared to the same period last year,” he added.
Tehran Province completely shut down its government offices, with similar closures reported in provinces like Isfahan, Fars, and Qom in central and southern Iran, as well as in two northeastern provinces and several in the northwest and north.
This is not the first time such measures have been implemented. Recent weeks have seen similar shutdowns in Tehran and other provinces, often linked to air pollution or energy crises.
Mohammad Sadegh Mo'tamedian, Governor of Tehran, remarked last month that such moves merely “shift the crisis from one point to another.”
The crisis has revived memories of the summer, when nationwide blackouts due to insufficient power generation led to significant disruptions. With no immediate solutions in sight, Abbas Aliabadi, Minister of Energy, recently acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
“The gas shortage is a reality,” Aliabadi told parliamentarians on January 5, adding, “It cannot be resolved within two months.”
Aliabadi spoke about a shortage of 20,000 megawatts of electricity and a difficult summer ahead, adding: "Let’s hope this doesn't happen because while the cold of winter can be managed by wearing warm clothing, navigating the conditions of summer is not that simple."
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly described the situation as dire. “In critical areas—electricity, water, gas, the environment, and finance—we are on the edge of a precipice,” he warned.
Although Iranian officials insist that energy consumption is rising, the country is in the midst of an economic crisis. The main issue is declining production in Iran's main gas fields in the Persian Gulf, where natural gas pressure is falling and tens of billions of dollars in new investment and technology are needed.
Iran's energy shortage is primarily driven by a combination of outdated infrastructure, inefficient energy consumption, and a lack of investment in modern technologies. The country's power grid, gas pipelines, and energy generation plants often operate at or near full capacity, making them vulnerable to failures and inefficiencies.
The ongoing US sanctions have limited access to foreign technology and investment, preventing the country from modernizing its energy systems.
Other contributing factors include the increasing demand for electricity during hot summers and cold winters, alongside insufficient efforts to develop alternative renewable energy sources. The over-reliance on fossil fuels for both electricity generation and heating exacerbates the issue, while Iran's ability to manage energy demand through strategic planning and conservation has remained limited.
Officials have launched conservation initiatives, including a campaign titled “Two Degrees Less Consumption.” Despite this, the challenges of balancing demand with supply persist, raising concerns about Iran’s ability to cope with the energy crisis both in winter and during the hotter summer months ahead.