Iran may shut sports, cultural centres to power industries

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said sports and cultural centres could be shut down if necessary to ensure uninterrupted electricity supplies to industries and the production sector.

Pezeshkian said the country could reduce the use of electricity, gas, petrol, water and other energy resources to protect its production cycle. He also warned that people would have to endure hardships to resist Western pressure.

“We cannot allow the production cycle to be disrupted,” he said, stressing the need to prioritise industrial production and employment. 

His remarks came amid an ongoing energy shortage in Iran. The country has faced recurring electricity shortages, while natural gas remains the main fuel for power generation. 

Pezeshkian also said that resisting the West would require people to make sacrifices.

Iran has faced mounting economic and energy pressures amid the recent conflict and damage to parts of its energy infrastructure. The government has been seeking to manage consumption and prioritise electricity supplies to industrial units.

-AJM