Three-minute read
As Iran grapples with an escalating crisis in water and electricity provision, plunging citizens into daily hardship, the clerical regime’s response has been a masterclass in deflection and contempt.
Instead of addressing the systemic failures rooted in decades of mismanagement and misplaced priorities, officials are increasingly resorting to blaming the Iranian people and offering ludicrous “solutions” that only underscore their profound incompetence and detachment from the suffering they inflict. This approach is not only failing to alleviate the crisis but is actively fueling public anger and exposing the regime’s bankruptcy in governance.
Official Incompetence Meets Public Despair
The dire situation is characterized by prolonged, unannounced power outages and severe water shortages, even before the peak summer demand. These disruptions are not isolated incidents but a widespread pattern affecting homes, businesses, and even critical infrastructure like hospitals.
Yet, when confronted with the consequences of their failures, regime officials have consistently demonstrated an unwillingness to take responsibility, opting instead to shift the onus onto a population already struggling under economic duress.
Power Crisis in #Iran: Widespread Outages and Public Discontenthttps://t.co/sSOfWttUr1
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 29, 2024
The “Pump Solution”: A Masterclass in Deflection
A particularly egregious example of this blame-shifting came from Mohsen Ardakani, the CEO of Tehran’s Water and Wastewater Company. In a televised appearance on May 5, 2025, Ardakani brazenly stated that due to reduced water pressure, his company could no longer guarantee water supply to apartments above the second floor.
His “solution” was for residents to install water pumps. He said, “Currently, due to low pressure, we can no longer supply water to the second and third floors and above. Now, what should those living on the second and third floors and above do? They must install a tank and then a pump after the tank.”
When the program host pointed out the obvious flaw – that water pumps require electricity, which is also frequently cut – Ardakani’s response was a convoluted dismissal. “Well, if the electricity is also being cut, then the water will eventually be cut too,” the host noted. Ardakani replied, “When a house’s electricity is cut, its pump’s electricity is naturally cut too, do you understand?”
#Iran News:
Protests and Violent Clashes Erupt in Iran Amid Water Shortages and Government #Crackdownhttps://t.co/b3EIEfZPNf— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 30, 2024
He further added that “this year we have very low water reserves and we are forced to reduce water pressure. All subscribers living on the second floor and above must have a pump in the coming summer, otherwise they will have very low water pressure.”
Ultimately, Ardakani fell back on the excuse of drought, stating, “Truly, this drought situation is one we cannot confront; we must adapt ourselves to the drought. Adapting to drought is the wise and logical way out of these problems.”
“Consume Less”: The Regime’s Universal Panacea
This tactic of blaming external factors or the populace is echoed at higher levels of the regime. Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson for the government of regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, offered an equally insulting “solution” to the burgeoning energy and water crisis. She bluntly stated, “If today we have an imbalance in energy, water, and some crises, the only solution that comes to mind is to tell people to consume less.”
Such pronouncements demonstrate a profound disconnect from the reality that Iranians are already enduring severe rationing and that the crisis stems from infrastructural decay and mismanagement, not excessive public consumption.
#IranProtests Erupt Nationwide on May 6 Over Economic Misery, Power Outages, and Executionshttps://t.co/JhhI4dXpNz
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 6, 2025
Echoes of Broken Promises and Convenient Excuses
The regime’s narrative is further undermined by its history of unfulfilled promises. Officials from the Ministry of Energy had previously assured the public that with new management, electricity would be supplied without interruption and that precise planning was underway for future summers.
Some even boasted that with the launch of new power plants, the country would reach a stage of “energy stability.” However, the current reality is one of premature and unscheduled blackouts. Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, spokesperson for the electricity industry, on April 7th, attributed the crisis to drought, stating, “This year, due to drought, we do not have the possibility of maximizing the use of hydroelectric power plant capacity and can only use one-third of the electricity compared to last year.”
He also admitted that “about 30% of the country’s power plants are old and definitely need repairs.”
These admissions highlight years of neglect and a lack of strategic investment in essential infrastructure.
#Iran News in Brief
Following a four-day #water cutoff in the Alard neighborhood of Robat Karim, #Tehran Province, a group of residents gathered on Thursday evening, August 10, protesting against the ongoing water shortages.https://t.co/pKw09KDPhP pic.twitter.com/tdPOZn7gkY— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 11, 2023
The People’s Burden: Paying for Regime’s Failures and Misplaced Priorities
While officials offer excuses, the Iranian people bear the brunt of these failures, often paying astronomical utility bills for services they barely receive. While regime officials blame the people for overconsumption, they have also increased electricity and water tariffs exorbitantly. In contrast, people say that despite paying hefty bills, they haven’t had water and electricity for long hours to have consumed much.
Frustration is mounting, with many citizens suspecting that the nation’s resources are being diverted to the regime’s ideological projects rather than public welfare. Some consumers are pointing out that thousands of new nuclear centrifuges, along with Bitcoin mining, have pushed homes, businesses, and industries into blackouts and darkness by imposing an overload on the dilapidated electricity grid.
#Iran News in Brief
While #Iranians struggle wit power outages& high fuel prices, Ebrahim Raisi told Pakistani FM: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has the necessary capacity to meet #Pakistan’s needs in various fields, including oil, gas, and electricity.”https://t.co/UC49CMzRZK pic.twitter.com/NVeA9gzjMn
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 15, 2022
Hollow Pride Amidst Scarcity: The Energy Ministry’s Disconnect
The cognitive dissonance within the regime is starkly illustrated by statements from Minister of Energy Abbas Aliabadi. While acknowledging the severe water crisis, particularly for agriculture, he claimed, “Today, Iran’s electricity industry is considered one of the most honorable electricity industrial systems in the world.” Such pronouncements ring hollow to a population enduring daily blackouts and water cuts.
The Iranian regime’s response to the escalating utility crisis is a testament to its inherent incompetence and its profound disregard for the well-being of its citizens. This crisis is not merely technical; it is a direct consequence of a corrupt and unaccountable system that prioritizes its own survival and ideological pursuits over the basic needs of the Iranian people, further galvanizing the call for fundamental change.