Iran says it is ready to import water amid deepening drought

Iran is prepared to import water from neighbouring countries as it struggles with one of the worst droughts in decades, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said on Wednesday.

“If there is a country willing to sell water at a reasonable price, we will buy it,” Aliabadi said, noting that the Islamic Republic is facing a severe water shortage.

Iran’s water crisis escalated in 2025. In March, President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that drought and excessive consumption were pushing the country toward a critical situation.

By July, several cities — including Tehran — imposed supply restrictions, with some districts left without water for up to 48 hours. In the summer, Lake Urmia, the largest saltwater lake in the region, completely dried up.

By November, Tehran’s main reservoir had reached a critical minimum, with officials estimating that only a few weeks of water reserves remained. On 8 November, Pezeshkian warned that the capital might need to be evacuated if rainfall did not resume.

Residents have increasingly turned to bottled water due to low confidence in the stability of supply. Heavy rains on 17 November caused flooding in western provinces, but parched soil failed to absorb the water, leaving the broader shortage unresolved.