The Iranian authorities have urged the population this Friday to contain the use of electricity in light of the strain on the grid due to the "extreme heat" and the "attacks" by the United States against "supply facilities" in the south of the country, in a context of crossfire in recent days despite the ceasefire agreed in April and the memorandum of understanding signed in June.
In a statement released on social media, the Iranian Ministry of Energy has requested citizens to "turn off air conditioners for one hour" with the aim of "helping to facilitate a stable electricity supply to the southern provinces, currently subjected to extreme heat and attacks on supply facilities."
The department has emphasized that "if each of us does this small favor, we can help provide a better electricity supply to the people of the south of the country by reducing the load on the grid and easing the pressure on the national electrical grid." "One hour of favor, an effective step to provide sustainable electricity in the face of the unbearable heat in the south," it has reiterated.
For his part, the Deputy Minister of Energy, Mustafá Rayabi Mashhadi, has stressed that the Ministry is trying to "minimize energy restrictions in the southern regions, especially in areas affected by the war" and added that "if conditions improve and demand decreases, electricity supply to these regions will be prioritized."
In a second statement, the ministry has specified that "the policy of the Ministry of Energy is that, when imposing possible restrictions, the southern regions of the country and tropical areas are considered especially sensitive and will suffer less pressure than other parts of the country."
The United States has been carrying out attacks against Iranian territory for several days, alleging violations of the memorandum of understanding, claims rejected by Tehran, which denounces violations of the ceasefire and has responded with attacks against U.S. interests in the region, fueling fears of a collapse of talks for a future peace agreement.