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Iran protesters: Spend on infrastructure not foreign militias

July 27, 2021 at 11:55 am

Demonstrators take part in a protest called by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) against the Iranian regime in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on 10 July 2021. [PAUL ZINKEN/AFP via Getty Images]

Iranian protesters yesterday called on authorities to focus on improving the country’s infrastructure including water and electricity services instead of supporting foreign militia groups.

In recent weeks, protests have erupted across Iran including the capital Tehran following weeks of frequent power and water cuts.

In the southwestern regions nine people are reported to have died due to water cuts that lasted more than ten days.

Yesterday state television said a small group of shop owners gathered in Jamhuri Street in central Tehran to protest power outages, but “an [unknown] group of people tried to exploit the event for political gain”.

READ: Iran condemns UN criticism of deaths during water protests in Khuzestan

According to the TV report, the group chanted slogans that “violate standards” by criticising the authorities.

Iranian Fars news agency shared on Twitter a video of “about 50 people” chanting “not Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran” in an implicit criticism of Tehran’s support for groups abroad.

Since the beginning of July, Iranian authorities have started scheduling power outages in Tehran and several other major cities, attributing the decision to the increase in demand for electricity during the summer, and the drought resulting from the low rainfall this year, which affected the production capacity of hydroelectric plants.

Although the power outages in Tehran have decreased over the past days, authorities expect them to continue until the end of the month.