Iran's Capital May Be Moved

Tehran has run out of water.

Iran is facing an unprecedented water crisis that has already affected the lives of millions of people and the work of government institutions. In response to the worsening situation, the country's President Masoud Pezeshkian has not ruled out the possibility of moving the capital from Tehran.

As Spigel.de reports, the Iranian president called the situation with the capital's water supply "serious" and said the country would have to consider even moving the administrative center as a salvation option.

Pezeshkian said, "Tehran has really run out of water." Some 15 million people now live in the city, and the crisis has already affected the work of government agencies and industrial enterprises.

As The Guardian writes, this week Iran experienced the hottest days since the beginning of the year - and possibly the highest temperatures in the world, with the thermometer rising from +50.3°C to +52.8°C in some parts of the country.

At the same time, the country has experienced record low rainfall over the past five years, reservoirs are almost dry, power plants are operating intermittently and electricity supplies are often disrupted.

According to the state news agency IRNA, one of Iran's largest reservoirs could completely dry up within four weeks.

With seven major dams, water levels have dropped below 10 percent, and in the provinces of Hormozgan and Fars, some dams are already completely dry. Climate experts say that about 80% of the reservoirs are almost empty. A normal water supply is unlikely in the next two months - until rains in the fall improve the situation.

In response to the disaster, the government closed all schools and public institutions until at least Saturday. Many factories have suspended operations, leading to a drop in production and the threat of mass layoffs. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mahajerani called the situation a "natural disaster."

Tens of thousands of residents of the capital began leaving the city en masse and moving to the northern provinces, including to the Caspian Sea, where there are no water supply problems yet. Against the backdrop of the crisis, criticism of the Islamic regime and local authorities, who are accused of ineffective governance and inability to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, is growing louder.

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