Street protests over water shortages in south-west Iran continued for a sixth night on Tuesday.
At least two young men have been shot dead in the demonstrations in Khuzestan, and residents of Tehran and other cities are protesting in solidarity.
Officials blame armed protesters for the deaths, but activists said the men were killed by the security forces.
At least 31 demonstrations, including rallies by workers and farmers, were held in Iran on Monday and Tuesday, the dissident Human Rights Activists News Agency said.
Campaigners and local monitoring groups said the government cut the internet in Khuzestan to block videos of the growing unrest.
Footage filmed overnight in the city of Izeh showed protesters shouting slogans including “death to the principle of Velayat-e Faqi” and “we don’t want Islamic Republic”.
Velayat-e Faqi is the underlying ideology in Iran that permits the clergy to rule over the state.
Other videos uploaded to social media showed the security forces using tear gas to disperse protesters. The semi-official news agency Fars said “rioters” shot one policeman dead and injured another in the port city of Bandar Mahshahr.
Since the protests began on July 15, they have grown in size and in violence as frustration among residents rises. In the Khuzestan city of Susangerd, a decommissioned Iraqi tank serving as a monument to the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war was set on fire.
Iran is facing its worst drought in 50 years and is experiencing power cuts as a result. The water shortage is also affecting households and agriculture.
According to the Iranian Department of Water and Sewerage, at least 110 cities have struggled with regular water cuts since the start of the summer. Iran ranks fourth in the world for water scarcity, meaning it does not have enough water for consumption.
In June, Iran’s energy minister, Reza Ardakanian, said 2021 was “one of the driest years in five decades”.
An official at the country’s meteorological organisation put it more simply: “Bluntly speaking, there is no water.” The official, from the organisation’'s centre for drought, said there had been a 50 to 85 per cent reduction in precipitation this year, particularly in the southern and eastern regions, which include Khuzestan.
The Zayandeh Rud river in Isfahan has long been a victim of water extraction, often running dry, as has Lake Urmia, once the second-largest salt lake in the world.
Khuzestan, however, used to include large wetlands and marshes. While almost a third of Iran’s rivers once flowed through the region, it is now a wasteland owing to droughts, dam construction, mismanagement and oil extraction.
A controversial dam built in 2018 on the Karun river, one of Khuzestan’s vital resources, reduced the water supply by two thirds. Shortages have been a problem for nearly 40 years, often leading to protests and clashes.
Experts have repeatedly issued warnings that water scarcity will eventually lead to a larger conflict within the region.
Iran’s economy is also struggling, largely because of sanctions imposed on its oil industry by former US president Donald Trump. The pandemic has worsened the problem.
Workers, including thousands in the energy sector, have protested for months. Discontent is growing over mismanagement, high unemployment and an inflation rate above 50 per cent.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dubai Women's Tour teams
Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport
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Kuwait Cycling Team
Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
Minsk Cycling Club
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Team Ciclotel
UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
Wheel Divas Cycling Team
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Sunday's Super Four matches
Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan
Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
