Iran Desperate Battle Against a Relentless Drought with the help of Cloud Seeding Operation

Iran is facing one of the most punishing droughts in its modern history, with water resources shrinking at alarming rates and lakes turning into barren salt plains. In a bold and urgent response, Iranian authorities have turned to weather modification-specifically, cloud seeding-in hopes of coaxing precious rainfall from the stubborn skies.

State media over the weekend confirmed that an operation to seed clouds over the Urmia Lake basin had been conducted, the first such operation in the country’s new water year. The move heralds the start of a wider, nationwide effort to alleviate the deteriorating shortage of water in Iran.

Lake Urmia: From a once-majestic lake to the verge of collapse

The focus of this year’s first cloud seeding operation is Lake Urmia, earlier the biggest lake in Iran and a regional ecology gem. Once teeming with life and a tourism destination, the lake has been experiencing destructive drying spells for the last decades. Today, the larger part of its expanse lies exposed as crystalized salt flats, haunting reminders of climate stress and mismanaged water reserves.

Its shrinkage has brought on environmental, economic, and health consequences-from salt storms across farmland to disappearing biodiversity. For local communities relying on the lake’s ecosystem, each passing year feels like a countdown.

How Cloud Seeding Works—and Why Iran Is Relying on It

Cloud seeding isn’t new, but the practice is attracting fresh attention as nations struggle with severe weather. In cloud seeding, substances like silver iodide or salt particles are introduced into the clouds. These particles encourage the condensation of water vapor to form droplets large enough to fall as precipitation.

Iran’s usual operations would involve aircraft flying into appropriate cloud formations, dispersing these particles, and guiding rain toward strategic basins. Officials have emphasized that more missions are planned soon across East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces, areas also struggling with water scarcity.

While not a panacea, and certainly unable to create clouds where none exist, cloud seeding can enhance rainfall—sometimes by as much as 15%—making it an especially valuable technique for drought-hit areas.

A Nation Racing Against Climate Extremes

The water crisis in Iran is the product of many forces:

• Increased duration of droughts** exacerbated by climate change
• Over-extraction of groundwater for agriculture
• Rapid population growth
• Shrinking rainfall patterns

The pressure is increasing on infrastructure, farming communities, and households. Cloud seeding can bring only temporary relief, and experts believe that deeper reform—water conservation, smart agriculture, and long-term policy shifts—needs to be done to reverse decades of environmental damage.

Still, the launch of this year’s cloud seeding initiative reflects Iran’s determination to act, rather than wait for nature to recover on its own.

As the aircraft fly over Iran’s drought-stricken landscapes at intervals, releasing tiny particles into the clouds, hope does likewise. The missions this season may or may not greatly increase rainfall, but the urgency behind them is undeniably clear. For now, all eyes remain on Lake Urmia and the skies above it-waiting to see if science, strategy, and a little atmospheric persuasion can help reverse one of Iran’s most pressing climate challenges.

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