Water Shortage in Iran may not be manmade, but Regime is Facilitating that Disaster
In a recent interview with the President’s Daily Brief, Shahin Gobadi, spokesperson for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), discussed the ongoing efforts of the Iranian regime to manipulate environmental conditions, specifically drought, as a tool of repression and control over the Iranian population. Gobadi outlined the deliberate policies and systemic negligence that have exacerbated the country’s water crisis, noting that the regime’s approach has gone beyond mere mismanagement to an active strategy that prioritizes regime survival and political control over the welfare of citizens.
NCRI Smells a Rat
Gobadi emphasized that drought, while naturally occurring, has been leveraged by the authorities as a mechanism to suppress dissent, punish marginalized populations, and consolidate power in regions deemed politically sensitive. The regime’s allocation of scarce water resources, he explained, disproportionately favors urban centers and strategic industrial or military areas while rural and peripheral regions face acute shortages. This strategy, according to Gobadi, serves multiple purposes: it economically debilitates communities likely to challenge the regime, forces migration to areas where political oversight is stronger, and limits the ability of civil society and local populations to organize or resist.
The NCRI representative highlighted that the water crisis is not only the result of environmental factors but also of structural and political decisions that have systematically reduced access to water and agricultural resources. Large-scale projects, such as dam construction and river diversion, often benefit elite-connected entities and state priorities rather than the general population, further deepening regional inequalities. Gobadi noted that mismanagement of water and land resources has been compounded by lack of investment in sustainable infrastructure, poor enforcement of environmental protections, and disregard for long-term planning, all of which exacerbate the social and economic consequences of drought.
Gobadi also addressed the broader social implications of the regime’s drought policies. He described how water scarcity has led to crop failures, reduced livelihoods, and increased poverty in affected regions, intensifying public frustration and fueling social unrest. Communities that rely on farming and livestock are particularly vulnerable, and the scarcity of resources has created a climate in which ordinary citizens face both environmental and political pressures. According to Gobadi, the regime’s response to dissent under these conditions has often been violent, with security forces deployed to suppress protests and intimidate populations already under stress from environmental hardship.
Another key point discussed was the regime’s use of drought as a narrative tool. Gobadi explained that state media and officials often frame water shortages as the result of external factors, climate change, or international sanctions, deflecting responsibility from internal policies and governance failures. This narrative serves to obscure the deliberate nature of resource manipulation and to limit domestic and international scrutiny of the regime’s actions. By controlling information, the authorities maintain an image of competence and stability while continuing policies that perpetuate scarcity and social control.
Gobadi also drew attention to the impact of these policies on migration patterns, noting that many Iranians are forced to relocate to larger cities or neighboring regions in search of reliable water and basic living conditions. This internal displacement further consolidates state control, as populations are moved into areas where surveillance and political influence are stronger. At the same time, the strain on urban infrastructure and social services creates additional pressures that the regime can exploit to justify restrictive measures and reinforce authoritarian governance.
In conclusion, Gobadi presented the NCRI’s perspective that the Iranian regime’s handling of drought is a deliberate strategy to maintain power, suppress dissent, and extract control over vulnerable populations. The discussion underscored the intersection of environmental mismanagement and political repression, illustrating how natural crises are manipulated to serve state objectives rather than to address public need. According to Gobadi, understanding the regime’s approach to drought is essential for interpreting broader patterns of governance, social control, and human rights abuses in Iran.
NCRI and NCRI = NCRI x 2
