The 2022 uprising of the Iranian people marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to overthrow the Iranian regime. This uprising’s persistence holds the potential to drive the revolutionary movement toward its ultimate triumph.
A significant catalyst behind the emergence of this grassroots movement is the dire lack of basic necessities essential for sustaining people’s lives. Over the span of decades, the regime, driven by its anti-people agenda, has consistently failed to implement sustainable and forward-looking strategies aimed at ensuring the welfare and contentment of the Iranian populace.
Among the fundamental requisites of life, access to water and electricity remains profoundly inadequate. Even during the scorching heat of summer, millions are deprived of access to safe drinking water.
Similarly, in the cold months of winter, the nation grapples with insufficient electricity and gas, despite being situated atop vast reservoirs of fossil resources. In the preceding year, the regime’s Energy Minister, driven by concerns of uprising escalation, painted a misleadingly rosy picture concerning water and electricity provisions, only for these assertions to unravel as hollow and ostentatious.
He avowed, “Presently, the availability of water and electricity is stable, and there exists no cause for apprehension within these crucial sectors. We are committed to exerting our utmost efforts to ensure a steady supply of both water and electricity.”
Regarding the status of the nation’s dams, he further elaborated, “Rainfall has been favorable across significant portions of the country, and we hold hope for its continuation, buoyed by promising forecasts in this regard.”
Presently, the inhabitants of the Malashieh region in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, and Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan province are grappling with incessant water shortages. Additionally, numerous other locales contend with subpar water quality and inadequate water pressure.
Starting in May of the current year, a series of water cuts and rationing measures have been implemented in certain cities across the country. This issue also plagued various regions last year. The initial instance of prolonged water shortage was observed in Shahrekord, extending for approximately two weeks.
Subsequently, night-time water cuts were introduced in Gorgan and Karaj, along with a protracted water shortage affecting five cities within the Sistan and Baluchestan province. These occurrences unfold against a backdrop in which both Zahedan and Ahvaz endure an arid and sweltering July, with temperatures soaring beyond 45 degrees Celsius.
Over the span of decades, the regime has consistently fallen short in making the requisite investments for the establishment and expansion of water supply networks.
The Revolutionary Guards have spearheaded the construction of dozens of dams, yielding substantial profits. However, due to a range of factors, these dams either lie empty of water or operate far below their intended efficiency.
More alarmingly, these structures have contributed to the desiccation of surrounding lands and lakes. Perhaps the most egregious example of this is the drying up of Lake Urmia, a situation rife with innumerable and far-reaching environmental repercussions.
The electricity crisis is just as dire as the water shortage, if not more so. As the sweltering heat season sets in, the entire country grapples with an acute electricity deficit.
This predicament has cast its shadow not only over households but has also inflicted severe harm upon industries and essential service sectors.
In a disheartening turn of events, the nation practically ground to a halt for two days recently due to the dire scarcity of electricity. Regrettably, even amidst this crisis, the regime continues to allocate electricity to neighboring countries.
Surprisingly, despite the recurrent power blackouts, Iran’s electricity exports have doubled in the first quarter of this year compared to the spring of the preceding year. Simultaneously, the ongoing electricity exports, combined with the government’s reluctance to bolster electricity imports during the summer, raise significant concerns.
Similar to the water crisis, the primary catalyst behind the electricity shortage lies in inefficiency. The most recent report from the Majlis Research Center reveals that although plans were in place to launch 6,100 megawatts of new power plants this year, a mere 320 megawatts became operational this spring.
Compounded by the deficiency in local technology, none of the newly established power plants this season boast an efficiency rate surpassing 30%. To exacerbate matters, a staggering 13% of Iran’s generated electricity is squandered within the dilapidated and antiquated transmission and distribution network, failing to reach any end user.
The implications of these figures are sobering: approximately 10,000 megawatts of electricity produced within the nation are lost in transmission and distribution. This loss amounts to five times the electricity consumption of the country’s administrative establishments.
Amidst the scarcity of water and electricity in Iran, the nation finds itself grappling with soaring liquidity and inflation rates.
In a recent report, the head of the Central Bank has unveiled startling statistics spanning the past five years, underscoring the substantial economic toll these trends have exacted on the country. The average growth rate of liquidity from 2018 to 2022 stands at a staggering 33%.
Furthermore, the informal market has witnessed an annual surge of 61% in the value of the dollar, while inflation has surged to an alarming 42%.
This confluence of economic challenges, exacerbated by the water and electricity crises, paints a stark picture of the considerable hurdles facing Iran’s economy.
As these critical issues intertwine, they pose a multifaceted threat to the country’s well-being, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive and strategic interventions to steer the nation toward economic stability and prosperity, which is only reachable with the overthrow of the regime.
