Following protests in different cities over the blackouts, the Ministry of Energy, in a report read at the cabinet meeting, requested the assistance of the country’s security forces to take control of the situation, fearing widespread turmoil.
According to the report by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran), the Ministry of Energy emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Ministry of Interior and governors, as well as continued collaboration between the Ministries of Intelligence, Interior, Industry, Mines and Trade, Communications and Information Technology, and prosecutors, as well as the Economic Security Police, with the Ministry of Energy to identify and collect illegal cryptocurrency mining centers in this report.
Member of parliament Mohammad Pakmehr noted in an interview with ICANA on 24 May, that power outages could cause irreparable damage. “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.”
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.’
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.”
On 24 May, the state-run newspaper Arman published an article about Chinese cryptocurrency farms, which are allowing them to amass vast sums of money while without paying for electrical power.
“Are the Chinese brothers so dear and respected those 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 confirmed the lack of electricity at a public session of the regime’s parliament, expressing his fear of popular outrage and describing the situation as a ticking time bomb.
“Despite a sharp increase in electricity consumption, power plant growth has slowed from 45 percent to 17 percent.
As a result of this indifference, the country now experiences electrical shortages. Electricity shortages in the country are concerning, and we are not exaggerating when we say that they are a ticking time bomb that will blow in the coming years.” On 23 May, according to ICANA.
On 25 May, the state-run website Shooshan published an article about the regime’s irresponsibility, writing:
“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.”
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