Power official says nuclear deal won’t fix blackout crisis
A senior figure in Iran’s power sector warned that even a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations with the United States would not alleviate the country’s worsening electricity shortages without immediate fixes to fuel supply and financial constraints.
“Even if negotiations succeed, the power crisis won’t be resolved in the short term,” said Mehdi Masaeli, secretary of the Power Industry Syndicate, in an interview with ILNA.
“We must first solve the problems of gas, diesel, water—and more importantly, liquidity.”
The remarks come as prolonged blackouts and water disruptions grip cities ahead of peak summer demand. Masaeli explained that many apartment residents now face a cascading loss of services.
“When there’s no electricity, there’s no water, no cooling, no elevators,” he said. “This reduces welfare and may increase social unrest.”
He urged citizens to prepare for a difficult summer and said authorities should not downplay the severity of the situation.
“I recommend people prepare fans and water jugs,” he said, calling for practical readiness in the face of nationwide supply gaps.
On Tuesday, government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani also acknowledged the crisis, calling it a “reality that must be accepted.”
