The city of Abadan in southwestern Iran is enduring another summer of extreme heat, with temperatures routinely exceeding 40°C and often reaching above 50°C. These severe conditions, which are among the harshest in the Middle East, have brought renewed attention to the chronic challenges faced by Abadan’s residents, particularly regarding unreliable electricity and lack of adequate cooling infrastructure. As the mercury continues to rise, the difficulties endured by locals underscore wider questions about Iran’s government priorities and its allocation of resources amid ongoing regional conflicts.
Abadan’s position as an oil-rich city within Khuzestan province once symbolized Iran’s economic ambition. Today, however, its residents frequently suffer from aging infrastructure, water shortages, and power outages. Many go without air conditioning during prolonged heatwaves, risking health crises, particularly among the elderly and vulnerable. These hardships have fueled public frustration and sparked comparisons with living standards in Europe, where basic utilities and public health protections are more resilient even during periods of extreme weather.
The issue is compounded by the Iranian government’s consistent focus on funding regional militant proxies—including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria—under the direction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). While billions are funneled abroad to bolster Iran’s influence and support anti-Israel activities, local populations in cities like Abadan continue to face breakdowns in essential services. This longstanding disconnect has become a potent rallying point for critics of the regime, who use online platforms and protests to press for greater transparency and investment in domestic needs.
Khuzestan province, and Abadan in particular, have been the sites of repeated demonstrations in recent years. Residents often protest not only the unbearable heat and blackouts but also water shortages due to mismanagement, pollution, and upstream water diversion. Despite Abadan’s economic significance as home to one of the world’s largest oil refineries, infrastructure investments have lagged, and many blame central authorities for prioritizing ideological or military ambitions over basic public welfare.
Medical authorities warn that, with unreliable electricity, many people cannot use air conditioning or fans, increasing the risk of heat-related illness and even death. The repeated failure to protect public health during heatwaves is well documented: during the summer of 2022, extensive power cuts left swathes of Abadan and surrounding areas without relief from the oppressive heat, with hospitals often stretched beyond capacity.
In stark contrast, European countries regularly implement emergency measures during heatwaves, including robust public health alerts, cooling centers, and systems resilient to grid stress. Iranian officials frequently attempt to cast Europe in crisis, but on-the-ground realities in Abadan and similar cities make these claims less convincing for both Iranians and outside observers.
Social media has played a critical role in disseminating videos and images documenting daily struggles. One recent viral video from Abadan, widely circulated in various languages including Hebrew and Farsi, depicted the deserted city streets and residents’ desperate attempts to escape the relentless sun. Such content has galvanized debate on the priorities of Iran’s leadership, particularly when juxtaposed with the quality of life in much of Europe.
The IRGC’s budgetary allocations for regional activities—supporting terror organizations and regional destabilization—have drawn rebuke not only from the international community but from ordinary Iranians. As regional analysts note, Iran’s strategic emphasis on regional influence and confrontation with Israel comes at a profound cost to citizens, many of whom express growing disillusionment with government messaging casting all hardship as the result of foreign conspiracies or sanctions.
Climate change is intensifying the suffering in Abadan and other cities across the Middle East. Years of resource mismanagement, including the construction of poorly planned dams, over-irrigation, and neglect of aging infrastructure, have heightened the impact of extreme weather. Water scarcity, power failures, and environmental degradation are driving factors in rising social unrest, according to experts monitoring regional stability.
Israeli officials have repeatedly highlighted Iran’s internal crises to illustrate the inconsistencies of its leadership. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Chief of Staff of the IDF, has emphasized that Israel’s defensive operations against Iranian-backed terror are necessitated by Tehran’s commitment to expanding the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” often at the expense of its own people. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also drawn international attention to Iran’s human rights deficiencies and the regime’s neglect of its own citizens, especially in the face of growing climate and infrastructure threats.
Israel, by contrast, invests heavily in both military and civilian infrastructure—such as sophisticated air defense and modern desalination plants—to shield its population from regional threats and the effects of climate change. For residents in Iranian-backed areas such as Gaza or southern Lebanon, basic utilities are often weaponized for political leverage rather than provided as public rights, further distinguishing the Israeli approach from that of the Iranian regime and its proxies.
Ultimately, Abadan’s plight during the summer months has come to symbolize the broader failure of the Iranian regime to ensure the welfare of its own population. As climate pressures mount, international observers agree that Iran’s leadership faces a pivotal choice: address internal grievances and infrastructure shortfalls or risk further domestic instability. The continued prioritization of regional proxy warfare at the expense of vital public investment is not only a matter of governance but a growing challenge for regional security.
For Abadan’s residents, the summer is a time of hardship, adaptation, and resilience. But it is also a recurring reminder of fundamental issues at the heart of Iran’s political system—a reality documented by ordinary citizens and watched closely by the international community.
