An Iranian government plan to close workplaces and schools one day a week in response to deepening electricity and water shortages has drawn fire from many Iranians who say the move will only worsen daily hardships.
The move effectively creates a three-day weekend aimed at curbing the strain on water and energy systems during peak heat.
But residents across the country told Iran International's submissions line that the measure triggered mass departures from major cities, relocating rather than reducing consumption.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani has framed the weekly closures as an opportunity for the Iranian people to rest and take vacations following the 12-day war with Israel.
“Not only has there been no positive effect,” wrote one resident of northern Iran, “it’s made things worse. Tehran residents rush north or to nearby towns (for vacation), and now we suffer power cuts and water shortages too.”
Iran International asked its audience whether the closure had improved water availability in their regions. Dozens of respondents from Tehran, Mashhad, Qazvin, Bushehr and beyond described worsening outages and mounting utility costs.
“Before these holidays, we never had water cuts. Now it’s happening several times a day,” said one resident of Mashhad in the northeast. Others blamed the government for unequal access.
An audience in western Tehran said that in their neighborhood, which is home to personnel belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, “we haven’t had a single water cut,” while surrounding districts faced regular disruption.
Reservoirs near historic lows
Four of the five reservoirs supplying the capital are nearly empty, with only 13% of capacity remaining, Tehran Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said on Wednesday.
“About 13% is the current fill level of the four main reservoirs, meaning that 87% of the reservoir responsible for supplying drinking water to Tehran are empty.”
More than 60% of the city’s water now comes from depleted groundwater—double the rate of a decade ago.
Motamedian attributed Tehran’s outsized demand to population density, which he said exceeds the national average by a factor of 21. He confirmed that 42% of the province’s water is consumed for drinking and sanitation—far above the 8% national average.
But many Iranians say government mismanagement, not personal consumption, is to blame.
“This Islamic Republic has spent decades funneling our wealth into foreign militias and nuclear programs,” one respondent said. “Not a single long-term plan for water or the environment has ever materialized.”
Living under extreme pressure, respondents offered various elaborate explanations for alleged official motives behind the shortages.
“They just want people to leave Tehran so it stays quiet,” one said. “They’re scared the heat and outages will spark protests.”
Another viewer wrote, “This isn’t about water. This is about keeping people from the streets.”
'Failure at every level'
Some reported deteriorating infrastructure and rising costs without warning. “We used to have water all day in Mashhad—now it cuts out repeatedly,” one audience said. Others described sudden hikes in electricity bills and inconsistent rationing that appeared to favor certain areas.
Messages also reflected broader disillusionment. “Please, help us. We are exhausted,” one message read. “No one listens. We are at the end of the line.”
With reservoirs exhausted and groundwater declining, officials have warned that more shutdowns may be imposed.
“If necessary, every week may be off from Tuesday or Wednesday (until Saturday),” Tehran lawmaker Amirhossein Sabeti warned Wednesday.
Reza Sepahvand, a member of the Parliament’s Energy Committee, also announced the possibility of water rationing in Iran in the coming months.
“At the moment, the only way to manage the situation is to reduce the outages ... Unfortunately, we will likely see water rationing in most parts of the country in the coming months — a process that has already begun in some provinces and cities,” he told the local media Wednesday.
But few believe such measures can reverse years of overuse, climate stress and systemic neglect.
“We’re living through the slow collapse of the state,” a citizen from Astara on the Caspian Sea said.
“This isn’t about the weather anymore. It’s about failure at every level.”
The man from New York is said to have left Iran 30 years ago and was among 35 Jews in the country detained on spy charges in the wake of the war with Israel.
He had traveled to Iran along with another Jew of Iranian origin who was also arrested but was since released on bail.
Israel’s Ynet quoted a legal representative involved in the case who remained anonymous, who said: ”They came to the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the only Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, said Sunday that the charge of espionage has been formally dismissed against all Jewish detainees held in Tehran, and that the majority of those arrested are expected to be released soon.
“I am proud to announce that following a two-hour meeting with Mohammad Taghavi, the head of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, it was agreed that three of the five detained members of our community will be released on light bail,” Najafabadi wrote in a statement. “We hope the remaining two individuals in Tehran will also be freed soon.”
In addition to developments in the capital, Najafabadi also addressed the situation in Alborz province, where a larger group of Jewish Iranians had been detained in recent weeks.
“With regard to the eleven individuals arrested in Alborz province, I am pleased to report that... five women were released on bail last week,” he said. “Additionally, three men were freed from detention just a few days ago.”
He added that he would continue to pursue the release of the remaining detainees in the province. “Tomorrow, a meeting will be held with Ahmad Nowrouzi, the head of the judiciary in Alborz province, regarding the status of the remaining detainees.”
Najafabadi also said that efforts were underway in Shiraz concerning another community member who remains in custody. “With regard to a fellow citizen detained in Shiraz, I, along with the respected head of the Shiraz Jewish Association, am actively pursuing the matter and we hope to witness positive results soon.”
In the wake of the war, 35 Jews were arrested in Tehran and Shiraz, as well as the Alborz province, on suspicion of ties to Israel. The 10,000 strong community has long been pressured to publicly express loyalty to the Islamic Republic and is banned from communicating with relatives in Israel.
Their arrests were part of a mass crackdown, in which 2,000 Iranians were arrested, including members of other minorities including Azeris, Kurds, and members of the Baha'i faith, on suspicion of collaboration with Israel.
The US State Department’s spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, issued a warning last month, telling dual nationals or American citizens not to travel to Iran.
The State Department website still warns: “Americans, including Iranian-Americans and other dual nationals, have been wrongfully detained, taken hostage by the Iranian government for months, and years. The threat of detention is even greater today. Do not travel to Iran under any circumstances.”