Latest news with #Mazandaran
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Scorching heat in Iran forces closure of public buildings, banks
The closure of banks, government offices and other public buildings will affect the provinces of Mazandaran, Markazi, Yazd, Semnan, Kermanshah and Razavi Khorasan, along with the capital. Aheatwave in Iran is straining the country's water and power supplies, prompting local authorities to order the closure of public buildings and banks in the capital Tehran and several other provinces on Wednesday, local media reported. The country's meteorological organization put nine of the country's 31 provinces on orange alert for at least the rest of the week, forecasting highs of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days in some areas. High temperatures in Iran are common during the summer months, but reservoirs are depleted after repeated droughts and electricity supplies struggle to cope when air conditioners are cranked up in homes and workplaces. The closure of banks, government offices and other public buildings on Wednesday will affect the provinces of Mazandaran, Markazi, Yazd, Semnan, Kermanshah and Razavi Khorasan, along with the capital, local media said on Tuesday. "Due to rising temperatures and the necessity of optimizing and managing energy consumption, the activities of executive agencies in Tehran province will be closed on Wednesday," state broadcaster IRINN quoted Tehran Governor Mohammadsadeq Motamedian as saying. Medical facilities, private companies and selected bank branches will remain open. 'Iran's excessive water consumption is untenable' Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the country's excessive water consumption was untenable and could leave cities including Tehran with severe shortages by September. In July 2024, during another severe heatwave, several provinces across Iran decided to close public offices for a few days to save on water and electricity. Solve the daily Crossword
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 days ago
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Scorching Heat in Iran Forces Closure of Public Buildings, Banks
A heatwave in Iran is straining the country's water and power supplies, prompting local authorities to order the closure of public buildings and banks in the capital Tehran and several other provinces on Wednesday, local media reported. The country's meteorological organization put nine of the country's 31 provinces on orange alert for at least the rest of the week, forecasting highs of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days in some areas. High temperatures in Iran are common during the summer months, but reservoirs are depleted after repeated droughts and electricity supplies struggle to cope when air conditioners are cranked up in homes and workplaces. The closure of banks, government offices and other public buildings on Wednesday will affect the provinces of Mazandaran, Markazi, Yazd, Semnan, Kermanshah and Razavi Khorasan, along with the capital, local media said on Tuesday. "Due to rising temperatures and the necessity of optimizing and managing energy consumption, the activities of executive agencies in Tehran province will be closed on Wednesday," state broadcaster IRINN quoted Tehran Governor Mohammadsadeq Motamedian as saying. Medical facilities, private companies and selected bank branches will remain open. Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the country's excessive water consumption was untenable and could leave cities including Tehran with severe shortages by September. In July 2024, during another severe heatwave, several provinces across Iran decided to close public offices for a few days to save on water and electricity.
Reuters
7 days ago
- Climate
- Reuters
Scorching heat in Iran forces closure of public buildings, banks
DUBAI, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A heatwave in Iran is straining the country's water and power supplies, prompting local authorities to order the closure of public buildings and banks in the capital Tehran and several other provinces on Wednesday, local media reported. The country's meteorological organisation put nine of the country's 31 provinces on orange alert for at least the rest of the week, forecasting highs of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days in some areas. High temperatures in Iran are common during the summer months, but reservoirs are depleted after repeated droughts and electricity supplies struggle to cope when air conditioners are cranked up in homes and workplaces. The closure of banks, government offices and other public buildings on Wednesday will affect the provinces of Mazandaran, Markazi, Yazd, Semnan, Kermanshah and Razavi Khorasan, along with the capital, local media said on Tuesday. "Due to rising temperatures and the necessity of optimising and managing energy consumption, the activities of executive agencies in Tehran province will be closed on Wednesday," state broadcaster IRINN quoted Tehran Governor Mohammadsadeq Motamedian as saying. Medical facilities, private companies and selected bank branches will remain open. Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the country's excessive water consumption was untenable and could leave cities including Tehran with severe shortages by September. In July 2024, during another severe heatwave, several provinces across Iran decided to close public offices for a few days to save on water and electricity.
Globe and Mail
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Canadians fleeing war in Iran face obstacles in absence of diplomatic ties
Canadian physician Panid Borhanjoo woke up on Friday morning in Iran's cottage country to an onslaught of messages from family and friends asking if he was safe. He turned on the news in his relatives' home in Mazandaran, a lush, coastal province on the Caspian Sea. Israeli missiles had destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities and killed high-ranking military personnel in Tehran, about 200 kilometres away. War had erupted. Dr. Borhanjoo and his family packed their belongings and returned to their apartment in Tehran, the Iranian capital. He had visited his home country many times, despite years of travel warnings and sporadic missile strikes. But now, on this visit, he was hearing missiles fly overhead and explode nearby, and watching smoke and flames billow out of a building across the street. He knew he had to leave. Canada, which severed diplomatic relations with Iran more than a decade ago, had announced no plans to stage an evacuation. Dr. Borhanjoo tried calling Canadian embassies in Turkey and Syria but there was no answer. He quickly realized he could not depend on his own government for help. 'If this country wasn't going to provide me with a safe way out, which it didn't seem like, I had to find my own way out,' he said in an interview on Wednesday. Iran's escalating conflict with Israel has prompted Global Affairs Canada to urge Canadians in Iran to leave the country. However, Canadians trying to get out are largely on their own, with Iranian airspace closed and border crossings difficult and dangerous. The Canadian government cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012 for supporting terrorist regimes and violating human rights. As a result, the ability of Canadian officials to provide assistance in Iran is 'extremely limited,' according to Global Affairs' Iran travel advisory. Canada's relations with Tehran stuck in deep freeze, despite Iranian hopes Evacuation operations require co-ordinating efforts with local authorities, which is not possible in the current climate, said Christian Leuprecht, a military expert and government relations professor at Queen's University and Royal Military College. 'Unless there's a significant change in the political conditions in Iran, nobody's evacuating anybody from Iran,' Prof. Leuprecht added. There are more than 4,000 Canadians in Iran registered with Global Affairs. During emergencies while abroad, Canadians are typically encouraged to go to the Canadian embassy or the U.S. embassy. Iran has neither. The closest Canadian embassy is in Turkey, roughly 2,000 kilometres from Tehran. 'The advice in those situations will usually be that it is the responsibility of citizens,' Prof. Leuprecht said. 'It is your responsibility as a citizen to find your way out of the country and if you can find your way out of the country, then we will help to repatriate you. The problem is there's very few places where Canadians could seek shelter.' The conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating, with the United States now threatening to intervene. Israel and Iran have so far exchanged hundreds of missiles. A timeline of the Israel-Iran conflict and tensions between the two countries 'In terms of Canada being able to co-ordinate … a mass exodus, it's super challenging in a war zone,' said Dennis Horak, Canada's last Head of Mission to Tehran. 'Nobody really has any good options at this point in trying to help people get out.' Canadians have limited escape routes. Theft and kidnapping are not uncommon along the Iranian land borders. Bandits patrol Iran's border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, enduring conflict keeps Iran's border with Iraq closed, and roads leading to Turkey and Azerbaijan are dilapidated. Dr. Borhanjoo did not wait for a response from Canada. He planned his escape route early on Saturday morning. Within hours he had secured a driver and was headed to Turkey, where he made it across the mountainous border at night and caught a flight from Van to Istanbul, and then to Toronto, on Tuesday. 'I think anyone who has the capacity to leave the country should leave,' he said. However, in the few days since Dr. Borhanjoo fled, the roads leaving Tehran have become crowded with vehicles, making it more difficult to get out. He fears for his family sheltering in Iran, who are older and less mobile. Despite living in Canada for 21 years, Dr. Borhanjoo says his heart and soul are still in Iran. But he is unsure when he will be able to return. 'I don't foresee the rest of the country even being safe any more. I don't think Iran in general is a safe place to be,' he said.
