Iran’s water crisis could displace more than 60 percent of the country’s population. Photo: IRNA state news agency

Iran is reportedly undergoing a major water crisis, to the point where it may lose all its natural water sources within 40 years.

According to the Israeli publication Globes, the crisis has been caused by global warming and other factors, and has made the country fourth in the world in terms of declining water resources. This has led to widespread public discontent, the resignation of members of parliament, and a growing sentiment of protest in the streets.

A recent NASA report stated that all natural water sources in Iran may be gone within 40 years, while the ruling regime has completely failed to find new resources or build an infrastructure to compensate for the loss.

A resident of Iran’s Isfahan region told Globes, “Maybe we’ll drink oil instead of water.” Referencing the new American sanctions on the Islamic Republic’s oil sector, he added, “There’s nowhere to sell the oil now and we have a lot of it.”

Approximately 35 million Iranians have faced weeks without a steady water supply, which caused the government to undertake an ill-planned attempt at diverting water sources to the affected provinces. This in turn caused the resignation of 18 members of parliament.