According to a report by Telegraph, on Wednesday November 12, 2025, Iran’s capital city is confronting an unprecedented water emergency, with reservoirs holding barely more than a week’s supply of drinking water for its 10 million residents, prompting warnings from the country’s president that a massive evacuation may become necessary.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued stark warnings about the severity of the situation, stating that without immediate rainfall, Tehran could face the extraordinary challenge of relocating its entire population due to water scarcity.
Current estimates indicate that Tehran’s reservoirs contain approximately nine days’ worth of drinking water remaining. Should precipitation fail to materialize in the coming days, Pezeshkian has cautioned that the capital may require evacuation, marking what would be an unprecedented humanitarian and logistical crisis for a metropolitan area of such magnitude.
The water crisis extends far beyond the capital, affecting the entire nation. In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city located in the northeast, reservoir levels have plummeted to less than three percent of total capacity. The energy ministry reported on Tuesday that 19 major dams across the country are approaching complete depletion.
The situation has grown so dire that archaeologists have raised concerns about Persepolis, the ancient Persian capital. Experts warn that extensive groundwater extraction has drained the aquifer beneath the historic site to such an extent that the entire complex, including the tomb of Emperor Darius the Great, faces potential structural collapse.
Kaveh Madani, a former deputy head of Iran’s environment department, described the situation as having moved “beyond” crisis level. According to Madani, both immediate water sources from mountain reservoirs and long-term groundwater reserves that traditionally sustained the country through dry periods have been exhausted.
The current emergency represents the sixth consecutive year of drought conditions in Iran, with rainfall declining by 40 percent compared to previous years, according to Pezeshkian’s statements in August.
However, the president has emphasized that natural weather patterns account for only part of the crisis. He pointed to reckless development practices that have depleted aquifers and allowed Tehran to expand so rapidly and haphazardly that the surrounding landscape can no longer sustain the modern population.
Pezeshkian has indicated that government institutions may need to relocate to southern regions of the country, with the civilian population potentially facing evacuation as well.
Water rationing measures have already been implemented across affected areas, with some universities closing dormitory showers and water authorities considering reducing overnight pressure to zero. View, More,
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