Tehran is drying up — fast. Rainfall has hit record lows, and reservoirs are nearly empty.
Iran’s officials are practically begging citizens to save water.
President Masoud Pezeshkian even issued a chilling warning: if the skies don’t open soon, the government might ration water — or worse, evacuate the capital.
That last remark? It sparked outrage. “Evacuating Tehran makes no sense at all,” scoffed former mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi.
But for millions of Tehranis already struggling with dry taps, the threat feels all too real.
“I’m planning to buy water tankers just for toilets,” one resident told BBC Persian.
Tehran Dams Near Collapse
The numbers are grim. Rainfall is down 92% compared to last year.
The Latian and Karaj dams — Tehran’s lifelines — are running at less than 10% capacity.
“We’re down to dead water,” admitted dam manager Mohammad-Ali Moallem.
Officials blame more than just the weather.
Leaky century-old pipes, war damage, and years of mismanagement have turned a natural drought into a man-made disaster.
And it’s not just Tehran. Mashhad’s dams are nearly dry too. Across Iran, cities are parched and patience is evaporating.
If water is life, Iran’s beating heart might just be skipping a few too many beats.
