Iran: Iran's Water Crisis: A Nexus of Environmental, Political, and Security Challenges

Sep 4, 2025 | Fatemeh Aman
Future Center
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Iran grapples with a water crisis that has evolved from an environmental challenge into a political emergency. The situation unfolds against a backdrop of mounting pressures: fears of Israeli military strikes, growing public dissatisfaction, and the return of tens of thousands of expelled Afghan migrants. Amid these tensions, the Helmand River dispute with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers has become emblematic of how climate stress, mismanagement, and regional rivalries converge to undermine Iran’s stability.