For the seventh consecutive day, farmers in Khorasgan, Isfahan Province, took to the streets in large numbers, protesting worsening water shortages and systemic injustice. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Zayandeh-Rud water is our undeniable right!” and “No nation has seen such injustice!” as they marched through the streets, vowing to continue until their legitimate demands are met.
These protests mark the second week of an escalating movement that stems from years of discriminatory water management policies. Large-scale water transfers to other provinces and to major industrial projects have devastated Isfahan’s agricultural lands, leaving thousands of farming families without livelihoods.
April 4—Isfahan, central Iran
Farmers resume protest rallies as authorities ignore their demands for access to the waters of Zayandeh Rud river. The regime's destructive policies comes at the expense of farmers and farmlands, protesters say.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/R8KebqxFnE— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 4, 2025
The roots of this crisis stretch back over two decades, when water began to be diverted under the pretext of industrial development, often without regard for the needs of local residents and farmers. As a result, arable land has shrunk dramatically, migration from rural areas has increased, and the city now suffers from severe air pollution and a spike in respiratory illnesses caused by dust storms from dried-up fields.
In a significant development, traders and shopkeepers in Isfahan have voiced strong support for the farmers. In an official statement, they declared:
“We, a group of merchants in Isfahan, express our full solidarity with the farmers. The drying up of the Zayandeh-Rud has not only destroyed agriculture but also weakened local markets, increased living costs, and reduced purchasing power. We affirm our participation in the mass protest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, and declare clearly: Zayandeh-Rud water is our rightful share.”
The statement emphasized that this crisis affects not just agriculture but also public health, economic livelihood, and the social stability of the region.
Meanwhile, local activists and farming communities blame what they call the “Water and Steel Mafia” for the current disaster. These are vast corruption networks tied to economic institutions affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). For years, these networks have monopolized access to Zayandeh-Rud’s water, channeling it to massive steel plants in eastern Isfahan, many of which are operated directly or indirectly by the IRGC through front companies and semi-governmental entities.
With mounting anger and broadening public support, the water crisis in Isfahan is rapidly evolving into a larger political and social crisis, with growing calls for justice, accountability, and the reclaiming of vital public resources.