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Iranians told to use less water as heatwave worsens shortages

Iranians told to use less water as heatwave worsens shortages
Iranian authorities have urged residents to limit water consumption as the country grapples with severe shortages amid an ongoing heatwave, local media said Sunday. (AFP)
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Updated 20 July 2025

Iranians told to use less water as heatwave worsens shortages

Iranians told to use less water as heatwave worsens shortages
  • Iranian authorities have urged residents to limit water consumption as the country grapples with severe shortages amid an ongoing heatwave, local media said Sunday

TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have urged residents to limit water consumption as the country grapples with severe shortages amid an ongoing heatwave, local media said Sunday.
Water scarcity is a major issue in Iran, particularly in arid provinces in the country’s south, with shortages blamed on mismanagement and overexploitation of underground resources as well as the growing impact of climate change.
On Saturday, the national meteorological service said Iran was experiencing its hottest week of the year so far, with temperatures exceeding 50C in some areas.
“People should conserve water to avoid drops in pressure,” said Tehran city council chair Mehdi Chamran, according to the ISNA news agency.
Authorities across Iran have issued similar appeals in recent days, asking residents in several provinces to limit water usage.
Tehran’s provincial water management company called to reduce usage by “at least 20 percent” to help ease the shortages.
In a statement, it said that “the reservoirs of the dams supplying water to Tehran are currently at their lowest level in a century” following years of steady decline in rainfall.
Javan, a conservative newspaper, reported on Saturday that authorities had reduced water pressure in parts of the capital in a bid to mitigate the crisis, resulting in “water outages lasting between 12 and 18 hours” in some areas.


US asks UN to lift sanctions on Syria’s president

US asks UN to lift sanctions on Syria’s president
Updated 13 sec ago

US asks UN to lift sanctions on Syria’s president

US asks UN to lift sanctions on Syria’s president
  • President Ahmad Al-Sharaa plans to meet Trump at the White House on Monday
  • Washington has been urging the 15-member Security Council for months to ease Syria sanctions
UNITED NATIONS: The United States has proposed a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.
The draft resolution, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, would also lift sanctions on Syria’s Interior Minister Anas Khattab. It was not immediately clear when it could be put to a vote. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the US, France or Britain to be adopted.
Washington has been urging the 15-member Security Council for months to ease Syria sanctions.
After 13 years of civil war, Syria’s President Bashar Assad was ousted in December in a lightning offensive by insurgent forces led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS).
Since May 2014, the group has been on the UN Security Council’s sanctions list.
A number of HTS members are also under UN sanctions — a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo — including its leader Sharaa and Khattab.
A Security Council sanctions committee has been regularly granting Sharaa travel exemptions this year, so even if the US-drafted resolution is not adopted before Monday, the Syrian president is still likely to be able to visit the White House.
Trump announced a major US policy shift in May when he said he would lift US sanctions on Syria.