Time-Lapse Shows Iran's Largest Lake Shrinking in Drought Crisis
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Lake Urmia, once the world's second-largest saltwater lake, has shrunk drastically, leaving salt-encrusted marshes and barren flats in its southern region. Its decline reflects deeper challenges facing Iran.
Iran is enduring a historic drought, crippling energy shortages, and relentless heat waves with temperatures regularly surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Offices and schools in Tehran close intermittently to conserve power, while residents suffer without air conditioning. Rising frustration over these hardships has sparked protests, showing how environmental collapse and infrastructure failures are driving public unrest.
Newsweek reached out to Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Frustration is mounting across Iran as drought, power shortages, and scorching heat push citizens to the brink. The collapse of Lake Urmia, once a symbol of national pride, underscores the consequences of environmental neglect and policy failures. Its decline highlights how climate pressures and governance shortcomings can destabilize both ecosystems and communities, turning ecological loss into a broader crisis of public trust and political legitimacy.
Images captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on in May 2020, left, and August 2025 show the declining water levels of Iran's Lake Urmia.
Images captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on in May 2020, left, and August 2025 show the declining water levels of Iran's Lake Urmia.
Copernicus
What To Know
The scale of Urmia's collapse is visible from above. A time-lapse of satellite images, captured by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites, part of its Copernicus Earth observation program, taken between 2020 and 2025, shows the southern portion shrinking year after year, leaving behind desolate salt crusts where vibrant waters once drew tourists. Once a thriving ecosystem supporting wildlife and local commerce, the area now stands as a testament to the combined impact of drought, overuse, and poor management.
Tehran Suffers
The human consequences are immediate. In Tehran, government offices close on some days to conserve energy, leaving workers sweltering in uncooled rooms. Hospitals face blackouts so severe that medics fan chemotherapy patients in pitch darkness. These scenes have fueled small but vocal protests. In Rasht, demonstrators chanted demands for water and electricity as police stood by, while in Babolsar, residents gathered outside a power station to denounce the relentless outages.
An image of the Babolsar protest, shared by X user Nassem Aslam, purports to show crowds assembled outside the facility.
IRAN PROTESTS ERUPT OVER BLACKOUTS AND WATER TRANSFERS
In Babolsar, angry residents surrounded the city's governmental building after enduring daily power cuts of 6–8 hours, leaving them without water, internet, or mobile service. The unrest reflects mounting frustration over… pic.twitter.com/1NEGzlzU4v — Naeem Aslam (@NaeemAslam23) August 16, 2025
Post-War Crisis
The crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of war. In June, Israel and the United States launched a wave of airstrikes against Iran's nuclear program, targeting facilities tied to enrichment and missile development. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, and later struck a U.S. air base in Qatar, further heightening regional tensions and marking one of the most dangerous escalations between the countries in years.
Amid this heightened turmoil, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned his attention to Iran's domestic challenges. Last week, he issued a message directed at the Iranian people, urging them to rise against their government over the power outages and water shortages and promising that Israeli technicians would come to restore electricity and water systems if the regime was overthrown.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed the appeal, calling it nothing more than a mirage.
An Iranian girl drinks water during a heat wave in the capital Tehran on August 9, 2025.
An Iranian girl drinks water during a heat wave in the capital Tehran on August 9, 2025.What People Are Saying
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Once you are free from the tyrannical regime that oppresses you, we in Israel will be happy to help the people of Iran solve the water problem, among other things, and bring back water to your lives."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: "A regime that deprives people of Gaza of water and food says it will bring water to Iran? A mirage, nothing more."
What Happens Next
Lake Urmia's southern basin is now almost entirely desiccated, its disappearance reflecting both environmental collapse and institutional failure. For many Iranians, the drying lake has become a symbol of the daily struggles tied to water, power, and governance.
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