By Maryam Manzoori | 2025-04-10

Frustration over water scarcity in Iran boiled over in March when farmers in eastern Isfahan torched two public water transfer stations, amid growing tensions over diversions to Yazd province.

The incidents in Isfahan's Varzaneh county cut off water transfer to Yazd, forcing a two-day shutdown in the province, Radio Farda reported.

"Oh God, burn their roots the way they burned our crop," one farmer declared in a viral video that captured the intensity of the despair over government policies.

Iranian regime forces fired tear gas at villagers during a March 30 demonstration in Isfahan province -- the latest in years of confrontations over the government's diversion of Zayandeh Rood water to Yazd, Iran International reported.

"We saw no justice, only heard lies," one farmer said.

During a similar crisis in 2021, Isfahan farmers staged a three-week protest, camping in the dry Zayandeh Rood riverbed until regime forces set fire to their tents.

Local officials insist only 7% of Isfahan's Zayandeh Rood river water goes to Yazd, solely for domestic use. But Isfahan residents say Yazd's water-intensive industries, especially ceramic factories, are depleting their water sources.

Yazd residents also took to the streets, protesting against local government-owned industries they blame for excessive water consumption.

Some blame the Iranian regime for fueling the crisis through years of mismanagement, ignoring domestic issues in pursuit of an expansionist agenda carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies.

Roots of unrest

Years of mismanagement, including groundwater depletion, reckless dam construction and allocation to water-intensive industries, have pushed Iran toward "environmental catastrophe," experts say.

Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni acknowledged the crisis, calling water scarcity a "serious national issue" and urging reduced consumption.

"This terrible situation where people in Isfahan and Yazd are fighting each other, is not their fault," Shahryar told Pishtaz, withholding his full name for security reasons.

"This is a situation caused by 46 years of mismanagement by the uneducated and corrupt government that spent Iran's money on constructing industrial plants, without properly studying the environmental aspects," he said.

Despite their arid climates, Yazd and Isfahan host water-intensive industries such as steel production, ceramics and tile manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, automotive manufacturing and industrial parts production.

"Today with a rise in population and very bad governance, water is scarce and delivered to neighborhoods by tankers," said university student Ramin, of Yazd, where water service was recently disrupted for several days.

"As always, the corrupt and incompetent officials blame it on people and domestic consumption," he told Pishtaz.

"People should not forget that we are all victims of lack of governance," he said. "Instead of fighting each other, should make the corrupt regime and its officials accountable."