The start of rolling power blackouts in Iran this week amid critical fuel shortages has exposed the vulnerability of the oil-rich country to US sanctions and underscored the impact of years of under-investment.
Iran has the world’s third-largest oil reserves and second-largest natural gas reserves. And yet weary Iranians have in recent months had to grapple with painful energy shortages.
In the summer, fuel stations in some popular northern travel destinations ran dry, forcing vexed motorists to queue for hours. Now the two-hour daily power cuts come just as the chill of winter sets in. They have knocked out traffic lights, exacer