Officials in Iran have announced widespread closures of schools, universities, and government offices on Tuesday as Tehran struggles to curb energy consumption amid a worsening winter crisis.
Authorities in Iran have announced widespread closures of schools, universities, and government offices on Tuesday as Tehran struggles to curb energy consumption amid a worsening winter crisis.
The closures are almost universal but the country’s southern regions with milder climate were less impacted as demand for heating are lower.
The crisis follows a summer of nationwide blackouts as Iran's electricity production and distribution systems failed to meet soaring demand. Now, with plunging winter temperatures in the north and west, the government appears equally unprepared to provide adequate heating for millions of citizens.
Heavy snowfall, rain, and worsening air pollution have compounded the challenges in recent days.
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has called on Iranians to shoulder the burden and lower their homes’ temperature — advice that has not gone down well with many.
Efforts to curb consumption include reducing government office hours to 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. through February and mandating remote work where feasible. Non-essential businesses have been ordered to close, while shopping centers are required to shut down by 8 p.m. to avoid their gas and electricity supplies cut off.
The closures come amid mounting gas shortages in the gas-rich country, with officials reporting a daily deficit of 350 million cubic meters of natural gas, compounded by a significant shortfall in fuel for power plants.
These deficits have forced more than a dozen power plants offline, intensifying electricity shortages nationwide.
Iran possesses some of the world’s richest energy resources, holding the second-largest natural gas reserves globally, surpassed only by Russia. It also ranks among the top countries in oil reserves.
The chronic energy woes stem from years of underinvestment and the impact of US-led sanctions which have hindered modernization efforts. Mismanagement and inefficiency in the energy sector have further exacerbated the crisis in the oil and gas rich country.
This news analysis comes after Bashar al-Assad in Syria lost his grip on power after support from Iran and its ally Hezbollah were sapped by over a year of conflict with Israel.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, whose tenure is supported in part by Iran-backed armed groups, may now face pressure to prioritize Iraq’s sovereignty over foreign influence according to the daily.
"Iraq remains internally divided over the repercussions of the situation in Syria, with some still supporting intervention at this point. Factions and some actors in the Shiite political scene align with this view, consistent with Tehran’s stance, which has announced the continuation of resistance," wrote Al-Mada.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has said Al-Mada "is seen as one of the only remaining critical newspapers in Iraq".
Operating under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), these groups wield considerable power over Iraq’s governance, military operations, and energy infrastructure.
Despite their original mandate to combat ISIS, many of the militias have since expanded their activities, frequently targeting US forces and installations in Iraq with rockets and drones, and exacerbating tensions between Tehran and Washington.
The paper also highlighted fears of broader regional destabilization following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, a key ally of Iran.
"Political forces have started warning about scenarios similar to Syria’s situation if rapid internal reforms are not implemented," wrote Al-Mada, citing thinktanks advising Iraqi government to distance itself from the poor governance of the Shiite political forces that have held power since 2003.
Tehran’s armed affiliates in Iraq may be weakened by the developments in Syria. The Australian Arab Institute for Strategic Affairs recently warned that Baghdad faces a critical juncture: either curb the influence of Iran-backed militias or risk becoming a target for escalating Israeli and US military operations.
Adding to the uncertainty are concerns about the potential reactivation of ISIS sleeper cells given the security vacuum next door.
“Iraq is trying to maintain a somewhat balanced relationship with Washington and not align itself entirely with Tehran,” Rahim al-Aboudi, a senior official in the National Wisdom Movement, was quoted as saying.
Growing public discontent
Domestically, public anger toward Iran’s proxies has intensified in recent years, particularly after their violent suppression of 2019 anti-government protests which criticized Iranian influence.
Social media has amplified these frustrations, with posts encouraging attacks on the Iranian embassy and measures to end the activities of armed groups backed by Tehran.
“Numerous individuals or fake accounts have called for citizens to arm themselves in opposition to Iran-backed forces,” Truske Sadeghi, a former Iran International correspondent posted on X.
The warnings of instability echo fears of a repeat of Iraq’s tumultuous recent past.
Unlike the ISIS incursions of 2014 which originated from Syria, analysts warn that any future unrest could arise from within Iraq’s cities, fueled by the same grievances that sparked the 2019 protests but on a potentially larger scale.
While Baghdad has reiterated that its borders are secure, the government’s inability to effectively manage the influence of IRGC-backed militias has left the country vulnerable to both domestic upheaval and regional spillovers.
As Iraq navigates mounting international and domestic pressures, its leadership could face a critical choice: assert greater control over Tehran-backed forces or risk a deeper descent into instability.
On Monday, 18 provinces, including Tehran and Isfahan, were effectively shut down as authorities cited cold weather and energy consumption management for the disruptions.
However, ongoing gas and electricity shortages suggest systemic failures rather than mere seasonal challenges.
According to state media, government operations were fully suspended in provinces such as East and West Azarbaijan, Ardebil, Razavi Khorasan, Golestan, and Gilan. In regions including Khuzestan and Yazd, partial closures and delays in operations highlighted the varying severity of the crisis, leaving only four provinces unaffected.
Alongside freezing temperatures, pollution in provinces like Khuzestan added to the crisis, with six cities classified as hazardous.
Sadegh Ziaeian, head of Iran's Meteorological Organization, reported subzero temperatures at 480 of the country's 675 weather stations, with 28 provincial capitals experiencing freezing conditions. However, the closures have failed to prevent continued gas and electricity outages, exposing the vulnerability of the country’s energy infrastructure.
Hassan Mousavi, spokesperson for Iran’s National Gas Company, confirmed that 850 million cubic meters of gas were injected into the network on Saturday, with 71% allocated to households, small businesses, and industries.
“The gas consumption in the residential, commercial, and small industrial sectors has increased by 17% compared to the same period last year,” he added.
Officials have warned of gas pressure drops in the national network, reflecting the fragile state of the energy system.
Blackouts and power plant shutdowns
The crisis has forced shutdowns at gas power plants in provinces including Golestan and Lorestan. Mehran Amiri, head of Lorestan's Electricity Distribution Company, announced the closure of the Doroud power plant.
"Gas-fired power plants in the province, with a capacity of 130 megawatts, have been taken offline due to increased gas consumption by users," said Amiri.
"The province's power plants, including the Doroud power plant with a capacity of 90 megawatts, are currently out of operation."
Ahmad Mousavi from Golestan’s Electricity Distribution Company reported similar shutdowns in Aliabad Katoul and smaller plants.
Scheduled blackouts in Golestan now last up to two hours per day for each consumer.
The power sector is under immense strain, with many recalling the widespread blackouts of summer 2023 when the failing energy grid struggled to meet demand in extreme heat.
Now, winter has exposed similar deficiencies in gas supply, with citizens enduring heating shortages and intermittent power outages despite government claims of network stability.
In an attempt to manage the crisis, officials have called on citizens to conserve energy through campaigns like Two Degrees Less, urging households to reduce heating. The initiative has drawn widespread ridicule on social media, with critics dismissing it as an inadequate response to systemic infrastructure failures.
Iranian citizens, already burdened by rising energy costs, have expressed growing frustration with the government’s lack of transparency. Officials continue to attribute disruptions to cold weather while avoiding acknowledgment of the underlying issues in the nation’s energy infrastructure.
Only on Sunday, schools and government offices in Tehran and many other provinces were declared fully or partially closed due to factors such as snowfall, rainfall, temperature drops, energy management, air pollution, and dust storms.
Tehran was also shut down on Wednesday and Thursday last week.
Iran's energy problems are not new. Decades of underinvestment in the power and gas sectors have left the country ill-equipped to handle seasonal surges in demand, the closures, pollution, and blackouts this winter serving a reminder of the government’s inability to address long-standing weaknesses in the energy grid.
As temperatures drop and frustrations rise, the government's vague reassurances and temporary measures offer little comfort to citizens enduring yet another season of misery while at least one third of Iranians are now living below the poverty line amid the country's economic disaster.
Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, who was arrested in April last year, now stands accused of a litany of charges, including moharebeh (enmity against God), espionage, and rebellion, in a case marked by torture and judicial misconduct.
If convicted, Beigzadeh could face the death penalty. According to his daughter, Zhino, her father has denied all charges except anonymously delivering medical supplies and purchasing a Starlink device for personal use.
“My only crime was the humanitarian act of providing medicine for the injured,’” here father said, she told Iran International.
Beigzadeh, 47, a farmer and father of three, was apprehended by intelligence officers in Bukan and transferred to Urmia, where his family says he endured months of torture during interrogations.
His daughter described how he suffered beatings that left him with bruises, open wounds, and a ruptured eardrum. Despite filing complaints and requesting medical examinations to document the abuse, no action has been taken.
Zhino contends that the accusations against her father are baseless and serve as a tool of political repression. “He was so certain of his innocence that he didn’t go into hiding, even when others involved in providing medical supplies were being arrested,” she said.
Iran has faced widespread condemnation from the likes of Amnesty International for its execution of political prisoners, forced confessions under torture, and sham trials, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom uprising.
Following mass protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, Iranian authorities have executed several protesters in what human rights organizations describe as grossly unfair legal proceedings.
Rights groups and the UN's office of the commissioner on human rights (UNOCHR) have found that detainees are often subjected to brutal torture to extract false confessions, denied access to independent lawyers, and prosecuted in trials lacking due process, with sentences handed down swiftly to warn against dissent.
These executions have been branded by the UNOCHR as a tool of state repression to silence opposition and instil fear among a population demanding justice and fundamental freedoms.
Legal experts speaking to rights group Hengaw, which focuses on Kurdish minority rights in Iran, have highlighted numerous irregularities in Beigzadeh's case.
"The sources emphasized that the charges against Beigzadeh Babamiri are fabricated, and the investigation process has been fraught with significant procedural flaws," the rights group said this week.
He and 13 other defendants were initially forced to rely on a single court-appointed attorney, a move criticized for undermining their defense. Court sessions were later held via video conference, with defendants and their lawyers isolated from each other, preventing effective legal representation.
In addition to political charges, Beigzadeh faces allegations in a separate criminal case involving the murder of a local resident, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi, in March 2023. Despite no evidence linking him to the crime, he is accused of orchestrating the killing.
Legal experts speaking with Iran International on condition of anonymity have criticized the lack of precedent for such a charge under Iranian criminal law, describing it as part of a broader effort to discredit him.
Beigzadeh’s case is just one of thousands caught up in the crackdown on those associated with the Mahsa uprising, particularly in Kurdish regions. Tens of thousands of dissidents have been arrested since 2022 and hundreds more executed each year in a bid to quash dissent.
“In this system, even humanity is a crime,” his daughter Zhino said, emphasizing her father’s innocence and calling on the international community to intervene before it is too late.