Complicating Long-Term Stability: Water Security and the Iran War

Apr 2, 2026 | Eleanor Greenbaum and Marcus King
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The World Resources Institute ranks Iran as the world’s 14th most water-stressed country, with 26 of its 31 provinces experiencing “extreme water stress.” Water supply is expected to fall nearly 11% by 2080, while demand will increase by roughly 30% by 2050. Iran’s severe water stress is the result of decades of poor water management, compounded by the intensifying effects of climate change. Historically, Iran used a qanat system to sustainably collect and distribute water, but over pumping now has rendered around half of these underground pipelines completely useless.