From Iran International who we found to be pretty accurate during the Israel - Iran War of 2025:
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Tehran can no longer serve as the country’s capital, citing a worsening water crisis that has depleted key reservoirs serving the metropolis.
Pezeshkian said the idea of relocating the capital had already been discussed with the Supreme Leader but now “is not a choice, it is a mandate.”
“Last year, rainfall was 140 millimeters, while the standard is 260 millimeters. That means rainfall has fallen by about 50 to 60 percent. This year, the situation is just as critical,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast from Hormozgan Province.
Iran announced in January it would relocate its capital to the southern coastal region of Makran, citing Tehran’s enduring overpopulation, power shortages and water scarcity.
Pezeshkian warned on Thursday that the cost of transporting water to Tehran could reach €4 per cubic meter (about $4.65), underscoring the unsustainable pressure on the city’s resources.
Tehran’s main reservoirs are nearing depletion. Government figures show that 19 major dams nationwide are operating at below 20 percent capacity, while satellite analysis indicates Amir Kabir reservoir outside Tehran is at just 6 percent of usable volume.
Other key reservoirs, including Lar and Latyan, are also at historic lows. Officials have also reported land subsidence in parts of the capital of up to 30 centimeters per year due to groundwater depletion.
Iran has long studied moving the capital to the shores of the Persian Gulf, where access to water would be less strained.
Agriculture, which consumes about 80 percent of Iran’s water, remains highly inefficient, further straining limited supplies. Experts warn that without major reforms in consumption and water management, the country faces worsening shortages, environmental collapse and growing public unrest....
....MUCH MORE
Previously:
August 13 - Is Iran running out of water?
The country has had an expanding problem for years, and it is bad enough that the Iranians accused Israel of stealing Iran's clouds
This is the sort of thing that leads to war....
July 2019 - UPDATED: The Tigris and Euphrates Are Drying Up—And It's Far From Natural
January 2019 - "Iran drought turns political as lawmakers fight over water share"
It was funny when the Iranians were accusing Israel of stealing their clouds. Now it has the potential to get serious.
June 2023 - Where things get really difficult is when you have cross-border claims such as those we're seeing right now between Iran and Afghanistan. A couple weeks ago they were shooting at each other.
Iran, Iraq and Syria: "As neighbours build dams, Iraqis watch twin rivers dry up"
