The consequences of the power outage crisis that has plagued the Iranian people have frightened the regime’s leaders.

Following the protests in different cities against the power outage, the Ministry of Energy in a report that was read in the cabinet meeting called for the support of the country’s security forces to take control over this situation, fearing popular protests.

In this report, the Ministry of Energy stressed the need for cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and governors and the further cooperation of the Ministries of Intelligence, Interior, Industry, Mines and Trade, Communications and Information Technology and prosecutors and the Economic Security Police with the Ministry of Energy to identify and collect illegal cryptocurrency mining centers.

It mentioned the control of the return of equipment to the authorized cycle of use as necessary measures to overcome the peak of summer consumption.

A member of parliament warned that power outages could cause irreparable damage.

Mohammad Pakmehr said: “Today, power outages do not only damage household appliances, but also jeopardize emergency priorities in the coronavirus conditions, because health centers are heavily dependent on electricity and many devices and equipment needed by emergency patients depend on electricity. Therefore, any power outage can cause irreparable damage.” (ICANA, May 24, 2021).

The state-run Vatan daily also wrote on May 24: ‘The main reasons for the power outage are a 28 percent decrease in the growth of electricity generation capacity and the deterioration of the distribution network. And now we see the result of government inefficiency in this area in frequent power outages.’

Karim Hosseini, a member of parliament from Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan, warned of the people’s anger over the power outage: ‘We must correct the situation as soon as possible.’

Mehr state-run News Agency added: ‘In recent days, extensive blackouts have been imposed on most urban areas of Ahvaz, which, despite the unbearable heat, has made living conditions difficult for people.’ (Mehr state-run News Agency, May 23, 2021)

The state-run newspaper Arman on May 24 also, referring to the cryptocurrency farms which are in the possession of the Chinese, who are achieving an unbridled amount of wealth while not paying for its power, wrote ‘that the recent blackouts have led people to ask what they want to do with the people?

‘Are the Chinese brothers so dear and respected that hospitals, universities, farms and hundreds of other professions and jobs should be shut down with frequent blackouts and there should be all facilities and convenience for the Chinese brothers to benefit?! These people can no longer tolerate such pressures and injuries.’

Hadi Beiginejad in a public session of the regime’s parliament admitted the lack of electricity and expressed his fear of the people’s anger and called it a time bomb. He said: ‘Despite the sharp increase in electricity consumption, the growth rate of power plants has decreased from 45% to 17%. This negligence has caused the country to face electricity shortages.

‘Electricity shortages in the country are worrying, and if we use the term that it is a time bomb that will explode in the coming years, we are not exaggerating.’ (ICANA, May 23, 2021)

The state-run website Shooshan on May 25 about the regime’s official’s carelessness said, “the irresponsibility of the officials adds to our pain more than ever.”

It presented an example.

“While electricity was cut off in many parts of the country yesterday, leaving people out of work and life and students out of school, cell phone antennas were cut off and doubled the problems, the General Manager of Customer Service Office of the Tavanir company, in response to a question about the problems caused by the power outage of patients at home to use oxygen and other things, said: ‌ ‘Where there is a need for electricity, they should think about emergency electricity in advance! If someone puts their hand on the power cord and dies, it includes insurance, not patients who have a power outage!’”

Then mocking him, this website added: “Mr. Chairman, emergency electricity means for an emergency time, that is, just once in every one, two or three months when the electricity is cut off. Not that there is eight hours of electricity cutoff during the day, which emergency power supply can handle this long time for an electricity cutoff?” (Shooshan website, May 25, 2021)

Reports are indicating power outages in the west, southwest and southeast of the country. Officials in the country’s electricity industry attribute this to illegal mining and the start of the season for using air conditioners, but people, like last year, believe that the mining of the Chinese and the state-affiliated people, who are gaining big profits, its costs are on the people.”  (Shooshan website, May 25, 2021)

Meanwhile people are reacting to such claims of the officials in the social media and are saying: “The power is cutoff; they say it is the people’s fault. They also say, there is no water, and it is the people’s fault. Regarding air pollution too, they say it is the people’s fault. Yes, it is our fault!”