Flooding in western Iran follows months of drought, cloud seeding efforts begin Video

Flooding hit parts of western Iran on November 17, following months of severe drought that has led to the worst water crisis in decades. The country's meteorological organisation issued a warning for flooding across six western provinces and predicted rain in 18 of Iran's 31 provinces.

Rainfall levels across the country have been 85% below average, severely depleting reservoirs and causing taps to run dry, including in the capital, Tehran. The drought has been exacerbated by a combination of mismanagement, illegal well drilling, and inefficient agricultural practices, with authorities also attributing the crisis to the impacts of climate change, Caliber.Az reports via Reuters.

Prolonged dry conditions have created the perfect conditions for flash floods, as the parched soil struggles to absorb the sudden downpours. Iranian media shared videos of mild flooding in towns in western provinces, including Ilam and Kurdistan.

Flash flooding struck Shahrek Hezarani Village in Abdanan, Ilam Province, Iran yesterday, inundating at least 40 homes...🌊 pic.twitter.com/r4uxJgtdNR

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) November 17, 2025

In response to the drought, authorities initiated cloud-seeding efforts on November 15, marking the first such operation of the year. The cloud seeding took place above the watershed of Lake Urmia, in Iran's northwest. However, this technique—where chemicals are introduced into clouds to stimulate rainfall—has only limited effectiveness, and experts warn it is not a long-term solution.

"In addition to cloud seeding's heavy cost, the amount of rainfall it produces is nowhere near what is needed to solve our water crisis," said Sahar Tajbakhsh, head of Iran's Meteorological Organisation, in an interview with state TV on November 16.

Though cloud seeding has been used in some areas, officials noted that conditions are not yet favourable for its application in Tehran, where authorities warn that the city could soon become uninhabitable if the ongoing drought continues.

By Sabina Mammadli