A new investigative report by a conservative Iranian newspaper reveals that illegal bitcoin mining operations in Iran consume four times more electricity than the entire output of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. 

The report highlights the staggering scale of the issue, stating that the electricity consumed by these unlicensed miners is equivalent to the power usage of 2.6 million households across the country.

The findings have reignited concerns among Iranian authorities, who have long struggled to control illegal cryptocurrency mining due to its profitability amid economic sanctions and subsidized electricity.