Political and energy instability in Iran

In late August 2026, the Iranian Parliament experienced a power outage during a session of the energy commission. The outage occurred as officials discussed the nation’s energy crisis, which has been exacerbated by heatwaves and significant damage to electrical infrastructure, including a reduction in grid capacity and damage to over 2,000 points.

By mid-September, political tensions emerged within the legislative body. Representative Hamid Resai challenged the President’s competence during a meeting with Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, proposing that presidential powers be transferred to an appointed First Vice President. This proposal reportedly faced backlash from the Speaker and other members.

Ghalibaf responded by emphasizing the need for national unity and criticizing political polarization. He also noted that the Parliament has been operating through a mix of in-person and virtual sessions because he has yet to receive authorization from the Supreme National Security Council to hold open sessions.