As Iran engages in negotiations with the United States to end a three-month war, the country is confronting a severe water crisis that has been overshadowed by the conflict.
Iran was already facing a multi-year drought and declining precipitation, but the US-Israeli war has exacerbated water woes after desalination plants, water pipelines, and other civilian infrastructure were hit.
The country's main water supplies, including reservoirs, rivers, and groundwater reserves, are running dry amid years of mismanagement through poor agricultural practices, overbuilding of dams, and increased well drilling.
According to the World Resources Institute's Aqueduct data, Iran's baseline water stress score falls into the 'extremely high' category, meaning the country uses more than 80 percent of its renewable water supplies in an average year.
In November 2025, Iran faced its worst water crisis in decades following its fifth consecutive year of drought. Tehran's Amir Kabir Dam held only 8 percent of its capacity, while 19 major dams across the country had run dry.
President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that if it did not rain by December, water would have to be rationed, and if there was still no rainfall, Tehran might have to be evacuated.
While evacuations were avoided, the water crisis led to protests in December 2025 and January 2026 over worsening living conditions and rising inflation.
Iran's water crisis results from compounding factors, including climate change, agricultural practices, increased water drilling, declining groundwater levels, and poor governance. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran has promoted self-sufficiency, which has become an even higher priority amid international sanctions.
On March 7, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US had bombed a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, impacting water supply for 30 villages.
The war has also led to environmental issues, including air pollution from burning oil and gas facilities. A LiveScience analysis found that between February 28 and March 14, the war released nearly 5.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the destruction of schools, homes, and buildings.
With the war taking the government's current focus, in November, Iran began cloud seeding and announced plans to penalize households and businesses that consume excessive amounts of water. President Pezeshkian has spoken against drilling unauthorized wells and excessive extraction of groundwater resources.
Source: www.aljazeera.com