Houshang Seydali, the NIGC director of gas supply coordination, noted that this year is significantly colder compared to previous years, particularly compared to last year.

"We anticipate extremely cold weather next week, with temperatures in some parts of the country dropping below -20 degrees Celsius," he said.

Referring to the presidential directive on seasonal residences, Seyidali stated, "Given the current circumstances, measures must be taken to ensure the stability of the gas supply network. Over the past three days, gas service to more than 53,000 users in recreational properties have been suspended. It is unnecessary for these users to consume gas during this critical period."

Seydali pointed out that some users have left gas burners on throughout the week to heat their recreational properties, which he deemed inappropriate under the current conditions.

"Our teams are diligently monitoring this and have acted to cut gas service to these properties," he said.

Seydali urged recreational property owners to cooperate and avoid overburdening the gas supply network.

The official went on to say that our teams are closely monitoring the situation, and if anyone fails to cooperate, their gas service will undoubtedly be cut off. 

He explained that many of these high-consumption users have swimming pools in their seasonal residences.

"Since cutting their gas service, we have seen an immediate impact on the stability of the gas supply network. For example, in Alborz Province alone, over 20,000 recreational unit owners with swimming pools were identified, and gas service was cut off for nearly 4,000 of them," the official said. 

Seidali emphasized that it is unreasonable to use gas for heating pools during winter when industries are facing shortages.

He also expressed appreciation for public cooperation in identifying high-consumption and unauthorized gas users.

"People have reported these cases via the National Iranian Gas Company’s emergency hotline at 194, helping us detect issues we might have otherwise missed. I encourage the public to continue reporting such cases," the official noted.