Iranians face energy squeeze from war as natural gas runs short

{"text":[[{"start":7.803,"text":"Iran’s government is urging the country’s consumers to limit their use of heavily subsidised natural gas after US and Israeli attacks damaged gas-processing plants and other energy infrastructure and worsened seasonal shortages on the domestic market."}],[{"start":23.28,"text":"Iran’s first vice-president Mohammad Reza Aref this week called for public co-operation in energy conservation to keep the gas network stable and ensure uninterrupted supply to “cold and remote regions” during the winter months."}],[{"start":37.822,"text":"He said users who over-consumed would face higher tariffs, and he threatened those “who fail to heed the warnings” with cuts in their gas supply."}],[{"start":46.14,"text":"Earlier, parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called for a nationwide drive to cut the country’s natural gas consumption by 10 per cent."}],[{"start":54.265,"text":"In a measure aimed at cutting fuel consumption and reducing traffic, the government has also called on public sector employees whose jobs can be done remotely to work from home at least two days a week."}],[{"start":65.6,"text":"The US-Israeli war on Iran, which was launched in February, has seriously affected the gas-processing facilities on which the country’s energy infrastructure depends. In March, air strikes on processing plants serving South Pars — the world’s largest gasfield that Iran shares with Qatar in the waters of the Gulf — cut daily production capacity by about a fifth from what the oil ministry said was record daily production of 1.1bn cubic metres before the war."}],[{"start":93.081,"text":"Iran’s energy authorities say less than half of the lost capacity has been restored, leaving the country with a higher than usual domestic shortfall of about 400mn cubic metres a day this year."}],[{"start":106.2,"text":"President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure as he called for new international investments. “By destroying Iran’s energy facilities and disrupting the flow of fuel, these attacks have endangered global energy security and the world economy,” he said at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Moscow on Tuesday."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":127.6,"text":"With an annual production capacity of about 300bn cubic metres, the Islamic republic is the world’s third-largest gas producer, but state subsidies to ensure low prices for Iran’s 90mn people mean almost all of it is used inside the country. Iran also exports 13bn cubic metres of gas a year, primarily to Turkey and Iraq."}],[{"start":149.2,"text":"Sanctions, under-investment and the imbalance between processing capacity and domestic demand have been problems for years, but the war has exacerbated the crisis."}],[{"start":156.59,"text":"Iran has been pursuing a deal to import gas from Russia and negotiating the arrangements since the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024."}],[{"start":165.413,"text":"Based on the MoU, Tehran would in the long run import an annual 55bn cubic metres of gas from Russia through Azerbaijan, potentially re-exporting some of that to neighbouring countries as part of its ambitions to become a regional gas-trading hub."}],[{"start":182.32,"text":"The Islamic republic’s caretaker oil minister, Hamid Bovard, on Monday in Moscow said negotiations to finalise the gas trade deal between Iran and Russia were progressing."}],[{"start":191.701,"text":"Bovard took over after former oil minister Mohsen Paknejad stepped down this month for unannounced reasons. The resignation came at a sensitive time when the regime’s crude oil exports have fallen to nearly zero because of the months-long US blockade on its southern ports."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":207.76,"text":"Iran could use Russian gas imports to reduce domestic shortages, particularly in northern provinces where temperatures drop to freezing in winter and where access to production from southern fields can be more difficult. But it was not clear if initial deliveries would start in time to help ease domestic shortages this year."}],[{"start":224.617,"text":"Gas makes up the bulk of Iran’s domestic energy mix, with power plants running on the fuel generating 80 per cent of the country’s electricity. That means any disruption to gas flow could also spill over into electricity generation."}],[{"start":238.48,"text":"Faced with biting gas shortages in recent years, Iran has been using highly polluting heavy fuel oil as feedstock for power plants in cold months. In the summer peak season, the government often enforces rolling electricity cuts, and in winter it restricts the flow of gas to industry to prioritise household heating."}],[{"start":255.938,"text":"Hamid Pourmohammadi, head of the state-run Plan and Budget Organisation, this month warned a drop in gas flow pressure could result in supply being cut to entire cities rather than clusters of houses this winter."}],[{"start":272.6,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1793192641_8844.mp3"}