Power blackouts hit Iranian cities amid war and heatwave; authorities urge lower use

Power and water outages returned to parts of Iran on Saturday, 19 July, as a severe summer heatwave coincided with military strikes on facilities in the south of the country, turning hours-long blackouts into a daily reality. According to Al Jazeera, residents in several provinces reported multi-hour power cuts at the peak of the heat, while officials insisted the grid remained stable.

Authorities called on subscribers to cut their electricity use and warned that demand would keep rising in the days ahead as temperatures climb. Earlier, power shortages had already disrupted output at some large industries, including steel.