Overview
- Energy Minister Abbas Ali Abadi announced periodic reductions in water use to curb waste, acknowledging the measures will cause inconvenience.
- Local media report water service is already being shut off at night across the city of more than 10 million residents.
- Tehran’s reservoirs have fallen to their lowest levels in a century after rainfall dropped roughly 40% below seasonal averages this year.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian warned the situation could become catastrophic and said evacuation may be required if rains do not arrive soon.
- The crunch is nationwide, with one Tehran dam reported dry, another below 8%, and Mashhad’s four supply dams under 3% as 15 provinces saw no autumn rain.