Iran has launched its first cloud-seeding operation of the current water year amid intensifying drought pressures and shrinking water reserves, with officials stressing both the potential and the limits of the technology. The announcement comes as the country’s hydrological stress threatens agriculture, power generation and regional economic stability.
According to Energy Ministry officials, the first mission was carried out over the Lake Urmia basin—one of Iran’s most water-stressed regions—on November 14. Mohammad Mahdi Javadianzadeh, acting head of the Organization for the Development of Atmospheric Water Technologies, said a specially equipped aircraft was deployed to the northwest following the passage of a suitable weather system. He added that every viable precipitation system entering the country will be evaluated for further operations.
While cloud-seeding flights are planned for multiple regions, Javadianzadeh noted that no appropriate rain-producing system has yet been identified over Tehran. Weak weather fronts are forecast for Tehran this week, but officials say suitability for seeding remains uncertain.
Operations are expected to continue through mid-May—using both aircraft and drones—provided favorable systems develop. Cloud seeding, widely used in several countries, is considered a relatively cost-effective method for enhancing precipitation, though global studies also warn that its impact is modest and highly condition-dependent.
Javadianzadeh emphasized that Iran has sufficient financial resources for atmospheric water management, but said realistic public expectations are essential. Cloud seeding, he noted, is only one tool within a broader water-management strategy and cannot substitute for structural reforms. For a country situated firmly within the world’s dry belt, he said, such operations serve a single purpose: increasing rainfall across key river basins to ease mounting water scarcity.
