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Tehran, a metropolis of nearly 10 million people, is on the verge of a disaster where household taps could run dry. This is not merely an unfortunate natural disaster; it is a man-made catastrophe, the predictable result of a perfect storm of corruption, systemic mismanagement, and destructive policies that have pushed Iran’s essential infrastructure to the brink of total collapse. While the regime blames drought, the facts reveal a chain reaction of failure: a water crisis engineered by incompetence is crippling the power grid, devastating national industries, and inflicting severe economic hardship on a population whose patience is exhausted.
The Root of the Rot: A “Water Bankruptcy” Engineered by the Regime
The water crisis is a direct indictment of decades of systemic failure. On September 9, 2025, state media was forced to admit that five major dams—Voshamgir, Golestan, and Bustan in Golestan province, Roudbal Darab in Fars province, and the Shamil and Nian dams in Hormozgan province—are completely dry. The situation is dire across the country, with 19 other dams holding only 15% of their capacity. The Lar dam, a critical water source for Tehran, is operating at a catastrophic 3% of its capacity.
This is what experts now call a “water bankruptcy“—a state where the damage to the system is no longer fully reversible. This crisis was not inevitable. It was created by the regime’s long-standing policy of prioritizing ideologically driven, unscientific projects over sustainable management. The agricultural sector, which consumes an astonishing 90% of Iran’s water resources, has been allowed to operate with gross inefficiency, while decades of warnings from environmental experts have been systematically ignored.
#Tehran’s Looming Water Crisis: A National Emergency Decades in the Makinghttps://t.co/t18FDZru8n
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 23, 2025
Cascading Collapse: From Dry Riverbeds to Darkened Cities
The consequences of this water bankruptcy are now cascading through Iran’s other vital sectors, most notably its failing power grid. With dams empty, hydroelectric power production has plummeted, placing unbearable strain on an already decrepit network. The regime’s own officials can no longer hide the truth. Mahdi Masaeli, head of the Electricity Industry Syndicate, recently admitted that the sector has become “fragile” and “aging,” with a “significant decrease” in the efficiency of power plants.
This is not just an inconvenience; it is a crippling blow to the national economy. According to energy expert Majid Afshari Rad, nearly 8,000 megawatts of electricity are lost annually due to the failing network alone. The financial toll is staggering. The Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Sattar Hashemi, acknowledged that power outages have already caused over one trillion tomans in damages to communications operators. Key industries are being hollowed out. The tile and ceramic industry, once fifth in the world, has seen its production plummet by 40% and its exports fall by 15% due to electricity shortages.
Why #Iran Is Running Out of Water, Power — and Patiencehttps://t.co/9ZghlJCNpO
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 13, 2025
The People Pay the Price: Inflation, Hunger, and Growing Dissent
While industries crumble, the Iranian people bear the full weight of the regime’s failures, punished from all sides. In a move of stunning cruelty, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration is raising the price of water and electricity bills even as services collapse. This comes as Iranians are already buckling under hyperinflation. Javad Hosseinikia, a member of the regime’s parliament, confirmed that the cost of some goods has surged by over 80%.
This economic pressure is making basic survival a daily struggle. According to a September 9 report by the state-run Rokna News Agency, the price of staples like chicken and dairy is rising so relentlessly that families are being forced to remove them from their dinner tables. Dairy companies have resorted to shrinking package sizes to mask the price hikes—a desperate tactic that underscores the collapse of public purchasing power. The regime’s own Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref, has publicly confessed to “widespread corruption” and “unnatural” price increases.
This combination of infrastructural collapse and economic misery is fueling nationwide anger. From the southern provinces of Khuzestan and Sistan and Baluchestan to the towns around the capital, protests are erupting. Their chant is a direct response to the regime’s failures: “Water, electricity, life, our undeniable right.” It is the true voice of a nation that sees its resources plundered and its future squandered, recognizing that the only solution to these compounding crises is to remove the root cause, which is the regime itself.