Evacuation Warning for Iran’s Capital Metropolis

[ad_1] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a dire warning that the Iranian capital might quickly face catastrophic water shortages and even evacuation if rain doesn't fall quickly.

Talking Thursday, Pezeshkian described a nation on the brink, combating financial turmoil, environmental collapse and social unrest. Tehran stands on the middle of this mounting disaster, its 20 million inhabitants and strained infrastructure leaving it dangerously uncovered to the worsening drought.

Newsweek has contacted Iran's Overseas Ministry for remark.

Why It Issues The disaster going through Tehran displays a broader water emergency that extends throughout Iran. Years of declining rainfall, drought, and overuse of restricted water reserves have left a lot of the nation weak. Rivers and reservoirs are operating dry, whereas groundwater sources have been overexploited to maintain agriculture and concrete progress. As rainfall continues to lower, water shortage has turn into a nationwide risk, affecting cities, villages, and farmlands alike.

Iran’s semi-arid local weather makes it particularly vulnerable to drought, however the present scenario has reached vital ranges. Many provinces have seen reservoir capacities fall dramatically, and full communities now rely on water rationing. Tehran, which depends closely on 5 most important dams, has turn into essentially the most seen instance of the disaster, however the scarcity extends far past the capital. Persistent drought and mismanagement have turned water safety into considered one of Iran’s most urgent nationwide challenges.

<img id="11008229" alt="" caption="A man views the low water inlet of the river upstream of the Amir Kabir dam along the Karaj river in Iran's northern Alborz mountain range on June 1, 2025." captionoverride="A man looks at the low water inlet of the river upstream of the Amir Kabir dam along the Karaj river in Iran's northern Alborz mountain range on June 1, 2025." credit="Atta Kenare" sourcealt="" sources="["AFP via Getty"]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="6000" height="4000" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2217504300.jpg?w=640&quality=75&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2217504300.jpg?w=750&quality=75&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2217504300.jpg?w=1000&quality=75&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2217504300.jpg?w=1200&quality=75&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2217504300.jpg?w=1360&quality=75&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2217504300.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2217504300.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1"/> What to Know Throughout his speech, Pezeshkian acknowledged that Iran’s difficulties stem from each inside mismanagement and the results of worldwide sanctions. "Excessive costs and inflation are the fault of each the parliament and the federal government. There are efforts underway, however restricted monetary assets imply initiatives stay unfinished," he stated, in line with Iranian media.

Turning to the deepening drought, Pezeshkian warned that Iran faces critical pure and environmental challenges. "If it doesn’t rain, we must begin proscribing water provides in Tehran subsequent month. If the drought continues, we are going to run out of water and be pressured to evacuate the town," he stated. The president described the scenario as "alarming" and emphasised the pressing want for higher administration of water and vitality assets.

<img id="10868327" alt="" caption="In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a rally commemorating anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the late pro-U.S. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamic clerics to power, in Tehran, Iran, Feburary 10, 2025." captionoverride="In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a rally in Tehran, Iran, Feburary 10, 2025." credit="Iranian Presidency Office" sourcealt="" sources="["AP Photo"]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="2550" height="1700" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25089401661678.jpg?w=640&quality=75&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25089401661678.jpg?w=750&quality=75&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25089401661678.jpg?w=1000&quality=75&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25089401661678.jpg?w=1200&quality=75&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25089401661678.jpg?w=1360&quality=75&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25089401661678.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25089401661678.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1"/> Water Provides Tehran’s water community relies on 5 most important reservoirs—Lar, Mamlu, Amir Kabir, Taleqan, and Latyan—with Amir Kabir being the most important. Nevertheless, rainfall within the capital has dropped roughly 40 % under seasonal averages this yr. The decline has led to drastically decreased reservoir ranges and shrinking groundwater reserves. On July 20, the Tehran Water Authority reported that the capital’s reservoirs had reached their lowest level in a century, and final week, the authority’s head warned that dam reserves might maintain the town for less than two extra weeks if the dry spell continued.

A video posted Friday on X by the person Volcaholic purportedly reveals the Amir Kabir Dam reservoir decreased to a barren basin, with solely a skinny stream of water trickling by way of its cracked, uncovered flooring.

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What Individuals Are Saying Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Thursday: "If it doesn’t rain, we must begin proscribing water provides in Tehran subsequent month. If the drought continues, we are going to run out of water and be pressured to evacuate the town."

Rama Habibi, head of manufacturing operations at Tehran Regional Water Firm, stated on Monday: "Up to now 60 years, now we have not skilled such low autumn rainfall in Tehran, and the present scenario is unprecedented."

What Occurs Subsequent Pezeshkian’s warning indicators a vital second in Iran’s water disaster. With out substantial rainfall, authorities could impose strict rationing throughout Tehran and different main cities, with contingency plans together with phased restrictions and potential relocation if reservoirs proceed to fall.

Officers say quick conservation is just not sufficient, calling for long-term reforms, infrastructure upgrades, and tighter management of agricultural and industrial water use. With out swift motion, Tehran might face one of the vital extreme city water shortages in its historical past.