Iranians suffer from war and heat: 'My baby almost collapsed'

Extreme heat and ongoing US attacks are severely impacting civilians in southern Iran, with a father in Bandar Abbas describing the desperate measures he took to cool his five-month-old baby during a power outage. "I just couldn't think of anything else," Jasem said, explaining that the electricity had failed and the air conditioning was not working. "My baby almost collapsed. I wanted to cool his body for at least a few minutes."

US Central Command has stated that recent attacks target military facilities and infrastructure used in operations against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the conflict's effects extend far beyond military sites. Power and water outages are frequent, causing constant worry for residents, even those living far from military installations. "On some days, the power outages are more burdensome than the explosions," Jasem, a teacher, noted. Online classes became the norm for his students due to the conflict.

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I just couldn't think of anything else. The electricity had failed, and the air conditioning was not working. My baby almost collapsed. I wanted to cool his body for at least a few minutes.

The damage to power infrastructure is extensive. Iran's state power company, Tavanir, reported that power plants, substations, and transmission lines have been damaged, resulting in a loss of 4,200 megawatts of generation and transmission capacity. This has exacerbated the hardships for families in the provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr, and Hormozgan, where the heat is already intense. The sounds of war, long thought to be in the past, have returned, stirring painful memories for older generations who experienced the Iran-Iraq war decades ago.

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On some days, the power outages are more burdensome than the explosions.