Iran scrambles to induce rain as years-long drought triggers water crisis

Iran said it had begun experiments to induce rain after a long drought created a water crisis in the country.

A cloud-seeding flight was conducted on Saturday over the country's largest lake, officials said.

The process involves spraying particles such as silver iodide and salt into clouds from aircraft to trigger rain. For the technology to work, it needs existing clouds.

The water scarcity has been described by some as the worst in a decade. Public service announcements have been urging people to use water sparingly.

In the capital Tehran, some users say their taps have been dry for days. Restrictions on water use have created a scramble for storage tanks with fears that the shortage might last for months to come.

Tehran is now in its sixth year of drought. High temperatures over the summer led to power outages and an enforced public holiday.

Israel's attacks on Iran in June also damaged critical water infrastructure, according to the energy ministry.

Officials have said that the reservoirs that the capital depends on for water are now at only 5% of their reserve capacity.