Dry Spells & Power Outages: Iran’s Giant Karkheh Dam Goes Offline Amid Historic Drought

Iran’s energy grid is facing a severe crisis as the Karkheh Dam, a massive engineering feat and a cornerstone of the nation's power infrastructure, has been forced to halt all electricity generation. High-level officials confirmed in late November and December 2025 that the reservoir has plummeted to 40 meters below its operational minimum, resulting in a total loss of 520MW of hydroelectric capacity.

To prevent a total humanitarian disaster downstream, authorities have bypassed the turbines to release remaining water through lower outlets for agricultural and domestic use. This shutdown is a symptom of Iran's worst drought in six decades, which has left major cities like Tehran facing critical water shortages. With precipitation down by nearly 90% compared to long-term averages, the country is now grappling with a "polycrisis" of water scarcity, energy deficits, and environmental instability.