Instead of ten lights, two are enough in a house: Iranian president urges population to save electricity.

No power outages have been reported in recent days in Tehran, the capital that was heavily hit on the first day of the American-Israeli attack on February 28. A truce has been in effect since April 8.

President of Iran, Massoud Pezeshkian, called on the population to save electricity on Saturday, warning that, while there is no shortage at the moment, the United States and Israel are seeking to sow “discontent” among Iranians.

“We are making a simple request to our dear people, who are currently mobilized in the field: to reduce their electricity and energy consumption,” he said on state television. “We do not need people to sacrifice at the moment, but we must control consumption. Instead of ten lights, two are enough in a house. What’s wrong with that?” he added.

No power outages have been reported in recent days in Tehran, the capital that was heavily hit on the first day of the American-Israeli attack on February 28. A truce has been in effect since April 8. Massoud Pezeshkian accused Iran’s enemies of targeting infrastructure and imposing a blockade “so that current satisfaction turns into discontent.”

Self-sufficient in electricity

American President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy Iranian electrical infrastructure, but has not acted on it so far. Even before the current conflict with the United States and Israel, Iran experienced frequent power outages during peak consumption in winter and summer.

According to the International Energy Agency, Iran generates almost four-fifths of its electricity from natural gas, a resource for which it is self-sufficient thanks to significant deposits. This production is supplemented with low-quality heavy fuel oil, known as mazut, used in older power plants.

Aging infrastructure

Aging infrastructure, lack of investment, and the impact of international sanctions have left the electricity grid unable to meet demand. In November 2024, the government implemented rotating two-hour power outages to keep the electrical system running.

Officials also reduced government employee work hours, turned off highway lighting, and imposed four-hour cuts on agricultural users. Massoud Pezeshkian had already launched several awareness campaigns to reduce energy consumption.

The Iranian capital is also facing a water crisis. The president warned last year that Tehran could be evacuated in the absence of winter rains.