Iraq experienced a near-total nationwide power outage on August 11, 2025, caused by a technical fault in transmission lines amid unprecedented electricity demand driven by record-high temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius. The blackout primarily affected central and southern provinces, excluding the Kurdistan region. The failure was triggered by the sudden shutdown of the Al-Hamidiya power station in Anbar province, compounded by heavy loads on the grid due to soaring consumption amid a severe heatwave and the influx of millions of pilgrims participating in the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Babylon and Karbala provinces. The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity declared a state of emergency and urged citizens to reduce non-essential electricity use. Gradual restoration of power began later on August 11, with full recovery reported by August 12. Private generators provided some relief during the outage. Meteorological services forecast the heatwave to persist for over a week.