Recurring Closures in Iran: Severe Cold, Energy Shortfalls Shut Down 25 Provinces

On February 25, Iranian authorities announced the full or partial shutdown of 25 provinces, citing extreme cold, air pollution, and shortages of electricity and gas—what the government calls “imbalances.” These frequent closures have repeatedly disrupted life across Iran in recent weeks, and it is anticipated that this pattern will continue in the coming days. Power and, critically, heating functions have also been disrupted throughout the country, adding to the hardship facing many Iranians of all walks of life.

According to meteorological reports, a cold front that arrived last Wednesday brought heavy snowfall, blizzards, fog, icy roads, a sharp drop in temperatures, and high winds to numerous parts of the country. Daily life has been severely affected, from parents forced to take leave to care for children—often without functional online learning options—to businesses idled by the closures, leaving some workers out of employment.

Iranian media note that Tehran, Isfahan, Lorestan, Kerman, Kurdistan, Qom, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Kermanshah, Alborz, Fars, Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan, Golestan, Gilan, Ardabil, Semnan, Qazvin, Zanjan, Hamedan, Markazi, Ilam, Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari, and Mazandaran have all been impacted, prompting social media outcries. Commentators have referred to mid-week closures and 11 days of shutdowns within a single month as signs of “bankruptcy” or “collapse” in various sectors.

These repeated shutdowns have inflicted substantial economic damage. The Majles Research Center estimates that losses to small industries from electricity cuts alone in the summer reached 43 trillion tomans. Several politicians, including supporters of President Masoud Pezeshkian, have also voiced criticism. Reformist activist Javad Emam called the shutdowns “merely covering up the problem”, urging the government to “listen to the experts”.

Meanwhile, the Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported in early December that at least 80 out of 600 domestic power stations had gone offline due to gas or liquid-fuel shortages, reducing the national electricity generation capacity—58,000 megawatts—by 8,000 megawatts, or roughly 14 percent. Some social media users referenced a recent social media post reshared by U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that “This is how regimes fall” linking to a New York Times article highlighting Iran’s inability to supply consistent power through the winter months.

Universities have likewise felt the impact. Following a decree from Tehran Province’s Energy Consumption Management Taskforce to close offices, educational centers, and universities, institutions across Tehran announced they would suspend administrative operations and move classes online. While Ministry of Science guidelines require that thesis defenses and academic interviews remain in-person, universities have reaffirmed that offices should remain closed. Nonetheless, poor internet quality has sparked frustration among the academic community.

Previously, the head of the Majles Education Committee criticized officials for targeting schools and universities first whenever shutdowns occur, warning that such an approach would “stall the country’s educational progress.” A recent example of opposition came from a professor at Sharif University, who emailed students stating he would hold in-person classes despite the closures. Meanwhile, the Basij Student Organization of the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences wrote to the president, warning that frequent shutdowns—especially without functional virtual infrastructure—are causing a serious disruption to education and “severely undermining the quality of learning.”

Similar criticisms surfaced last semester after the Ministry of Science authorized universities to offer online classes. Many students, professors, and student organizations voiced concern that distance learning would lead to stagnation and a decline in academic standards, arguing that internet limitations and hasty implementation have harmed the learning environment.