Iranian expert accuses US, Israel of 'weather manipulation to deepen drought
Amid worsening shortages, rationing has intensified, protests have erupted in cities like Khomam, and the overall social climate has grown increasingly volatile
An Iranian water resources specialist has accused the United States and Israel of manipulating regional weather patterns to intensify Iran’s severe drought.
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Mohsen Arbabian claimed in a July 30 interview on the Iranian YouTube channel Khateh Energy that both nations have been "deliberately diverting clouds" away from Iran for over four decades.
“I say this with certainty,” Arbabian stated, alleging that satellite imagery shows altered cloud trajectories. He contrasted the low water levels of Iran’s Lake Urmia now nearly dry with the relatively stable levels of Turkey’s Lake Van as supposed evidence of this manipulation.
The controversial claims come as Iran grapples with one of the most extreme droughts in its modern history.
Over the past five years, rainfall has dropped by more than 40% in some regions, leaving water reserves dangerously low. At the start of 2025, Tehran’s main reservoir was operating at just 1% capacity, while others were between 30% and 60%.
With temperatures soaring above 50°C, the government declared emergency public holidays in multiple provinces to conserve electricity and water. President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that without significant cuts in consumption, key dams could dry up entirely by early autumn.
Amid worsening shortages, rationing has intensified, protests have erupted in cities like Khomam, and the overall social climate has grown increasingly volatile.