Iran coach arrives in Washington for World Cup draw after visa dispute

Rama Habibi, a deputy at the Tehran Regional Water Company, told ISNA that the capital is experiencing its most persistent dry spell in six decades.

“For the first time in 60 years, we have had five consecutive years of drought,” he said.

Habibi added that rainfall since the start of the current water year in early October has been “very minimal.” He said Tehran recorded 48 millimeters of rain in the same period last year, compared with just 1.9 millimeters this year.

“We are facing a 96 percent reduction in rainfall compared with last year,” he said, adding that long-term averages also show a drop of nearly 98 percent.

Drought reshapes dam operations

The prolonged dry period has pushed reservoir levels across Iran to historic lows. The country’s Karkheh Dam hydroelectric plant was forced to halt power generation last week due to the shrinking water level in its reservoir.

Officials said the dam’s basin has endured years of drought, with water now flowing only through lower outlets to meet downstream needs.

Karkheh, one of the region’s largest dams, is among many facilities confronting shortages. Domestic media say reservoirs feeding Tehran’s Karaj and Latian dams have fallen sharply, and cities such as Mashhad, Kerman and Yazd are grappling with collapsing aquifers and, in some cases, water rationing.

Habibi said that in past years, rainfall returned to normal after short dry spells, but the current prolonged drought means “the outflow from the dams exceeds the inflow,” pushing storage to what he called alarmingly low levels. Long-term data indicate average storage of about 509 million cubic meters, leaving the current figure at roughly one-third of that amount, he said.

Warnings of broader strain

Authorities in several provinces warn that diminishing reserves could bring deeper disruptions if dry conditions persist. In Mashhad, officials have already moved to full rationing, while parts of Kerman report abandoned farmland due to groundwater depletion. Nationwide, rainfall has dropped to around 18 percent of normal levels, with 20 provinces reporting no measurable precipitation in recent weeks.

Water specialists quoted by local media say that if current patterns continue, significant parts of Tehran could face severe supply instability within the next decade.

Qadr 110, Qadr 380 and Qadir cruise missiles, along with the 303 ballistic missile, were fired from locations inside Iran and struck preselected targets at sea, according to the state media. Drone units also carried out attacks on simulated enemy bases, and naval air defense systems practiced responses to aerial threats against fast boats and coastal positions.

The exercise is taking place in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and around Iran’s southern islands, waters where Iranian officials have at times said traffic could be restricted during periods of tension.

The IRGC Navy has said the drill is named after Mohammad Nazeri, a commander and founder of the force’s special operations unit who was killed in 2016. Earlier this week, the navy announced the exercise would run for two days and extend across the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Oman Sea and nearby islands.

Officials say the drill includes testing combat systems, electronic warfare defenses and operations in simulated wartime conditions.

The naval drill follows Sahand 2025, a five day counter terrorism exercise led by IRGC Ground Forces in East Azarbaijan province under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization framework. That drill was designed with support from Iran’s foreign ministry and the SCO’s Regional Anti Terrorist Structure and focuses on what the bloc calls terrorism, separatism and extremism.

He told the outlet Didban Iran that “the remarks of the Supreme Leader about negotiations with the US are the final word,” adding that “we tried every path, but in the end it led to war and the wall of distrust only grew higher.”

Maleki said messages had arrived “through different channels,” but insisted Iran does not view Washington as a reliable counterpart. “The Americans want to dictate their positions. We want negotiations that secure our rights, not talks that follow their script,” he said.

Preconditions at the heart of the standoff

Maleki said one key reason for Iran’s rejection of talks is Washington’s insistence on sweeping concessions, including halting uranium enrichment. “Zero enrichment is something Iran will never accept,” he said, describing the demand as outside international norms. He added that “no IAEA member state accepts such limits on its own soil.”

Iran International reported last month that President Donald Trump reiterated three preconditions for talks via Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: an end to enrichment, curbs on Iran’s missile program, and halting support for armed allies in the region. Tehran rejects all three as non-starters.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week denied that Iran had asked Saudi Arabia to mediate, calling reports of outreach “pure lies.” Maleki said lawmakers and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have agreed that Iran should stay aligned with Khamenei’s guidance.

Araghchi had said earlier that Iran remains open to negotiation “when it is real,” but added that Washington is currently “dictating, not negotiating.”

Regional risks and warnings

Maleki said there is a possibility of US or Israeli attacks on armed groups aligned with Iran in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, describing Washington and Tel Aviv as increasingly isolated. “They are cornered, and they may act out of desperation,” he said.

He argued that some Arab governments no longer view US guarantees as dependable. “Many in the region see that the American rope is rotten, and those who cling to it will fall to the bottom of the well,” he said.

Maleki said Iran is ready for any escalation. “We are far more prepared than before,” he said, adding that although Iran suffered losses in the opening hours of the recent twelve-day conflict, “the enemy knows our readiness now.”

He said Tehran’s position remains unchanged: “Whenever the Americans enter real negotiations — give and take — and prove good faith, we have no problem. But imposing preconditions will never be acceptable.”

“I prefer to leave my artistic work for a day when the Islamic Republic no longer exists in my country,” she said.

Embarking on a farewell tour, she framed her decision within the wider social shifts unfolding in Iran, particularly the growing rejection of the compulsory hijab and the generational frustration she believes now defines the country.

“We are seeing our youth, especially women, fighting for their most basic rights,” she said, describing a society confronting economic strain, political repression and demands for ordinary freedoms.

Defiance of compulsory veiling is now widespread in Iran as women and girls appear in public without headscarves in one of the most visible social shifts since Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022.

The pressures facing a new generation, Googoosh said, have accelerated her own sense of responsibility as an artist.

“People in my country are struggling to give their families an ordinary life. They struggle for clean water, clean air, and land where they can live. Our young people grew old without ever enjoying their youth. Our people must end this painful cycle and gain the freedoms every human being deserves.”

Iran’s rulers have long relied on strict hijab enforcement by police and Basij forces. The current situation comes amid persistent power cuts, water shortages and a weakened economy, all of which risk fueling further anger.

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A life shaped by stardom and silence

Born Faegheh Atashin, she entered the spotlight as a child performer and quickly became one of pre-revolution Iran’s most recognizable cultural figures. Her look, voice and stage presence shaped an entire era of Iranian pop culture.

After the 1979 revolution, she remained in Iran and spent two decades barred from performing under the new theocracy, facing surveillance, harassment and a period of imprisonment. When authorities finally allowed her to leave in 2000, she resumed her career abroad, launching a revival that connected her with Iranians who had long been cut off from her music.

“After the revolution, the pressure on me grew,” Googoosh said. “Since Farsi is my mother tongue and I grew up in Iran, I could not adjust to living outside my country. I did not want that life. I hoped I could somehow continue performing for my own people, inside my own country.”

Local prosecutor Gholamhossein Asghari said police acted “immediately” after receiving a report about suspected illegal activity involving historical objects. He said a joint team with cultural heritage experts and the economic security police uncovered “a considerable number of prohibited and historical items that belong to the cultural heritage of the country.” Initial assessments put their value at around one thousand billion tomans (8.4 million USD). Three vehicles tied to the case were also impounded, he said.

Iran continues to face extensive trafficking of antiquities despite laws that classify such items as national heritage and ban their sale or export without official approval. Smuggling networks operate across the region, taking advantage of high demand. In one case reported by the outlet SedayeMiras, Achaemenid era gold artifacts smuggled out of Iran were sold on the black market in Dubai for about 1.1 million dollars, far below their estimated value of three million dollars. The report said the pieces included a gold pendant depicting Darius I, gold armlets, Achaemenid era jewelry and a 2,500 year old gold diadem.

Heritage experts say inadequate maintenance, limited protection and environmental damage have left many historical sites vulnerable. Asghari said cultural heritage is central to Iran’s identity and that any harm to it amounts to an attack on the nation’s history.