Iran’s drought crisis deepens as Tehran faces possible evacuation

Iran's drought crisis deepens as Tehran faces possible evacuation

Iran is grappling with an unprecedented drought this autumn, with rainfall hitting record lows and reservoirs nearing depletion, prompting officials to urge severe water conservation. President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that without immediate rainfall, Tehran's water supply may face rationing-or worse, a potential evacuation of the capital.

President's warning sparks backlash

Pezeshkian's remarks about evacuating Tehran have drawn sharp criticism. Gholamhossein Karbaschi, a former mayor of the city, dismissed the idea as "a joke," arguing that such a measure would be logistically impossible. Meanwhile, meteorological forecasts offer little relief, with no rain expected in the next 10 days.

Residents are already feeling the strain. One woman told BBC Persian she plans to purchase water tankers for basic needs like toilets, while rapper Vafa Ahmadpoor shared a video in summer showing a dry kitchen tap after hours without water. "I've had to buy bottled water just to flush," he said.

Dams at critical levels

The Latian Dam, a primary water source for Tehran, now holds less than 10% of its capacity. The Karaj Dam, which supplies both Tehran and Alborz provinces, is in similarly dire condition. Mohammad-Ali Moallem, Karaj Dam's manager, reported a 92% drop in rainfall compared to last year, leaving only 8% of the reservoir's water-most of it unusable "dead water."

"I have never seen this dam so empty since I was born," an elderly local resident told state TV.

Infrastructure and conflict compound shortages

Energy Minister Abbas Ali Abadi attributed the crisis not only to drought but also to Tehran's aging, leak-prone water infrastructure and recent damage from Israel's 15 June strike on the Tajrish neighborhood, which caused flooding. The IDF claimed it targeted Iranian military sites.

Abadi warned that authorities may soon cut water flow to zero during certain nights and impose penalties on households and businesses exceeding usage limits.

National emergency extends beyond Tehran

The crisis spans multiple provinces. Ahmad Vazifeh, head of Iran's National Centre for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, reported that dams in West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, and Markazi are also at single-digit capacity. In Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, reserves have plummeted below 3% in some dams, with three of its four main water sources now nonoperational.

"The province faces a mega-challenge of drought," said the Governor of Khorasan Razavi.

Decades of warnings, little action

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly flagged water shortages since 2011, yet systemic solutions remain elusive. Today, over 16 million people in Tehran, Karaj, and Mashhad face the prospect of taps running dry-a crisis years in the making, now reaching a breaking point.