Overview
- Energy Minister Abbas Ali Abadi said authorities will impose scheduled water shutdowns in Tehran to curb use and prevent waste.
- President Massud Peseschkian cautioned that, if rains do not arrive, rationing would intensify and prolonged drought could even force evacuation.
- Supply is perilous, with the five dams serving Tehran at roughly 11% capacity and the Amir Kabir reservoir at 14 million cubic meters versus 86 million a year ago, while the main storage is estimated to cover only about two weeks.
- A newly opened pipeline from the Taleghan Dam delivers 5,000 liters per second—about one-eighth of Tehran’s demand—providing only partial relief.
- Water stress is spreading nationwide, as Mashhad weighs nightly cutoffs with emergency wells drying and officials report many provinces saw no autumn rain.