Iran is confronting an unprecedented environmental catastrophe, with 15 of its 31 provinces running completely dry amid what officials are calling the worst drought in the nation’s modern history. The crisis has reached alarming levels in Tehran, a city of nearly 10 million residents, where water reservoirs are depleting and taps have begun to run dry, prompting fears the capital could soon become uninhabitable.
Tehran taps run dry as water crisis deepens across Iran
Iran is grappling with its worst water crisis in decades, with officials warning that Tehran — a city of more than 10 million — may soon be uninhabitable if the drought gripping the country continues.
President Masoud… pic.twitter.com/E07ynrhDzg— Sarah Malcangi (@MalcangiSarah) November 12, 2025
President Mesoud Pezeshkian has warned that if rainfall does not arrive by December, the government will have no choice but to ration water, and even that may not be enough to prevent a mass evacuation. “Even with rationing, if we don’t receive rain, the water resources will be depleted and the city might have to be evacuated,” he said.
Despite residents reducing their water consumption by 12% over the past seven months, the situation continues to worsen due to a six-year drought compounded by climate change, rising temperatures, and decades of water mismanagement. Experts blame inefficient irrigation systems, groundwater overuse, and poor long-term planning for the crisis.
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Authorities have already reduced water pressure in several districts of Tehran and urged citizens to install storage tanks and pumps to prepare for further shortages. Meanwhile, spiritual appeals have resurfaced with Tehran City Council Head Mehdi Chamran calling on citizens to gather in the desert and pray for rain.
A 2022 study in Nature estimated that Iran loses around 16 billion tons of water annually, underscoring the scale of the crisis. Researchers warn that unless immediate conservation and reform measures are taken, large swathes of Iran could face permanent desertification, marking a grim turning point in the country’s environmental future.
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