7 August 2026 - 12:16
  • News ID: 2508705
Pezeshkian vows to press ahead with energy, economic overhaul

SHANA (Tehran) — President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday his government will continue efforts to fix energy shortfalls, curb corruption and improve efficiency, describing clean energy expansion, subsidy reform and management restructuring as the three pillars of his administration's economic agenda.

Speaking in the second part of a televised address to the nation, Pezeshkian outlined a roadmap for structural reforms spanning the energy sector, banking system, subsidy policy, privatization, state enterprise management and transportation infrastructure, according to the president's office website.

Pezeshkian said his administration inherited a country facing the prospect of winter blackouts and gas and water shortages. He said national fuel reserves stood at 1.2 billion liters when he took office, with officials warning the supply would not last past late October. A gas shortfall also threatened to leave the country without heating through the winter, he said, but coordinated management prevented that outcome.

The president credited public cooperation with easing pressure on the power grid, saying citizens significantly reduced electricity and gas consumption. He said the government simultaneously worked to strengthen power plants, including a solar energy push that has added nearly 7,000 megawatts of capacity — an investment he estimated at roughly $7 billion that Iran could not otherwise afford.

Pezeshkian said the original goal had been to build 30,000 megawatts of solar capacity, but war, conflict and sanctions-related obstacles slowed progress. Although national development law calls for only 12,000 megawatts over five years, he said the government intends to exceed that target, arguing that wasted, cheap fuel is polluting the air and will eventually run short.

He said enemy strikes this year hit Iranian power plants and cut nearly 230 million cubic meters of gas supply daily, yet blackouts remained limited. He expressed hope for an end to power outages going forward, while acknowledging some cuts occurred during recent heat waves. He said the government is committed to protecting electricity supply to industries and workshops.

Looking ahead to winter, Pezeshkian said planning is underway to manage an expected daily gas shortfall of 230 million cubic meters without disruption to households.

The president acknowledged that not all problems have been solved, pointing to US sanctions that have limited Iran's ability to sell oil and reduced foreign currency reserves. "We must find a way to reduce the problems as much as we can," he said.

Pezeshkian also defended subsidy reform as a matter of fairness, saying wealthier households have historically consumed a disproportionate share of subsidized electricity, gas, water and basic goods, while those most in need received less. He said his government is committed to redirecting public funds toward the people who need them most.

"We are obligated to carry out these reforms," Pezeshkian said, warning that delaying changes to water, electricity, gas and fuel policy would only deepen the country's problems. He called on the public to support the effort, saying the goal is to ensure that any state spending is guided by principles of justice.

News ID 2508705

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