Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, with major dams supplying the capital running dry and water supplies reaching alarming levels. The crisis has drawn warnings from international experts, including Kaveh Madani, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. Madani warns that Iran’s ‘water bankruptcy’ poses a serious threat to the country’s ability to function effectively on the global stage.
Madani’s comments were reported by Fox News Digital, where he emphasized that the water crisis would weaken Iran’s position against the West and reduce its resilience. ‘If they want to stick to their ideology and fight with the West, they must use their natural resources and burn them, so if there is no water, there is less resilience and less capacity to resist,’ he said.
The current water crisis has been long predicted by environmental experts, with Madani stating that the situation was not created overnight. ‘The house was already on fire, and people like myself had warned the government for years that this situation would emerge,’ he said. President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that without rainfall before winter, Tehran could face partial evacuation, as reported by The Associated Press.
Of the five major dams supplying the capital, one has already run dry and another is operating below 8% capacity, according to the AP. Energy Minister Abbas Alibadi has announced that water supplies will be cut off on some evenings to refill reservoirs, urging citizens to reduce consumption by 20% to avoid rationing.
Madani also warned that the crisis threatens not just its citizens but also Iran’s energy and nuclear infrastructure. While the U.S. has claimed that airstrikes destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities, new intelligence suggests ongoing enrichment at a fortified site known as Pickaxe Mountain. ‘If water and electricity shortages persist, any nuclear program would also be impacted,’ Madani said.
The U.S. and its allies have reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran’s oil exports and banking sector and the end of the 2015 nuclear deal. These sanctions have further compounded the crisis. Madani noted that existing sanctions, imposed by the United States and reintroduced by the Security Council, have increased pressure on Iran’s ecosystem, natural resources, and water supply. ‘Iran is in resistance mode, and remaining in this mode means increased pressure on Iran’s ecosystem of natural resources and water,’ he concluded.
Despite the dire situation, Madani said an evacuation of Tehran remains improbable. ‘People have jobs, children are in school, so it can’t happen overnight. The government hopes for rain, but people are already afraid,’ he said.