Iran is buckling under a massive heatwave passing across the Middle East, with temperatures soaring to nearly 70C. A scorching 50C has already paralysed nearby Iraq, where a four-day public holiday was declared because it was too hot to work.But the word "hot" took on a new meaning in Iran's city of Bandar Mahshahr. It was claimed that the city's temperature was among the highest ever recorded.Meteorologists say that the country could be enduring some of the hottest urban temperatures ever experienced by mankind."That was one of the most incredible temperature observations I have ever seen and it is one of the most extreme readings ever in the world," said AccuWeather meteorologist Anthony Saglia.It is just a few degrees lower than the highest ever recorded temperature, 81C in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on July 8 2003.In Iraq, the government has urged residents to drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun because of what scientists refer to as a "heat dome" rampaging across the Middle East.The dome - a type of high-pressure ridge that is passing over the region - has exacerbated electricity and water supply shortages,making the scorching heat even more unbearable.In the south, residents have cranked up the air-conditioning as high as it will go, and the more lucky among them have escaped to nearby beaches in a desperate bid to cool off.But some of the most affluent figures in the Middle East are blissfully unaware of the scorching heat, such as Saudi Arabia's King Salman, enjoying a holiday in his luxury villa in France. - ..