Iran is grappling with a worsening water crisis, with more than 20 of its 31 provinces suffering from severe shortages that have left the capital Tehran facing the risk of running dry.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the situation in Tehran is so critical that relocating the city’s population of 15 million may be necessary if conditions do not improve.
The water crisis has deepened following years of drought and a 2°C rise in temperatures since the 1960s, combined with a 20% drop in rainfall over the past two decades. According to Iranian state media IRNA, one of the country’s largest reservoirs could be completely dry within weeks. Currently, seven reservoirs hold less than 10% of their capacity, with two dams in the southern provinces of Hormozgan and Fars already dry and 80% of reservoirs across the country nearly empty.
Pezeshkian has criticised previous government policies for neglecting the water issue, describing the current shortage as a crisis caused by both natural factors and mismanagement. As a result, government offices and schools will remain closed until at least Saturday, and many factories have shut down amid energy shortages, triggering fears of mass layoffs.
The water shortage has also prompted many Tehran residents to leave for northern provinces along the Caspian Sea, where water supplies remain more stable.
Experts warn that the water supply will remain critically low until the seasonal rains arrive later in the year, but the long-term effects of climate change and ongoing mismanagement make relief uncertain.
They said that Tehran’s future as the country’s capital could depend on urgent and effective action to address the deepening water crisis.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praised Georgia for resisting Western pressure (30 May), defending its national interests and pu...
More than 1,500 pages of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment and tenure as UK ambassador to the U.S. have been published, r...
As Armenia approaches parliamentary elections, Russia appears to be increasing political and economic pressure on Yerevan, signalling that closer inte...
Afghanistan’s consul general in Mashhad and the governor of Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province have discussed expanding trade, improving border trans...
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has withdrawn the appointment of a senior U.S. official to a top leadership role because of delays in U.S....
As Armenia approaches parliamentary elections, Russia appears to be increasing political and economic pressure on Yerevan, signalling that closer integration with the EU could lead to significant changes in labour, transport and energy arrangements between the two countries.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has withdrawn the appointment of a senior U.S. official to a top leadership role because of delays in U.S. payments, according to a statement published on Monday (1 June).
Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into a passenger bus crash in southwestern Türkiye that killed eight people and injured 33 others over the weekend.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action remains an option if talks fail. Meanwhile, U.S. forces said they fired a missile at a vessel trying to breach Washington’s blockade of Iran.
The World Health Organisation’s designation of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is a stark reminder that Ebola remains a persistent global health threat rather than a disease of the past.
Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps in protest against persistent congestion from heavy truck traffic and tourism.
When Armenians vote on 7 June, they will be voting in an election shaped by months of political change and a rapidly deepening relationship with the European Union. The result may not only determine who governs Armenia but also the future direction of the country's geopolitical alignment.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway will resume operations on 2 June after extensive modernisation works. Officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye are set to gather in Akhalkalaki for a launch event marking the reopening of one of the Middle Corridor's most important transport links.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praised Georgia for resisting Western pressure (30 May), defending its national interests and pursuing a "multi-vector foreign policy" - language that closely mirrors the rhetoric of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
As Armenia approaches parliamentary elections, Russia appears to be increasing political and economic pressure on Yerevan, signalling that closer integration with the EU could lead to significant changes in labour, transport and energy arrangements between the two countries.
Uzbekistan recorded further declines in the production of key energy resources during the first four months of 2026, even as output of fuel products, electricity and construction materials increased, according to the latest data from the National Statistics Committee.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment