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.

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