Are the Iran protests a climate story?

Long before the recent economic crash and brutal killings of protestors in Iran, the country faced enduring environmental crises. Depleted dams and dried rivers have left stretches of land exposed, sending dust clouds across the country and severely degrading air quality. Last October, President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the capital, Tehran, may have to be evacuated due to the country's water bankruptcy. Have these problems contributed to the civil unrest this winter? Bertie puts this question to Dr. Sanam Mahoozi, who reports on Iran for the US news press, and recently completed a PhD researching media framings of environmental protests in the country. Sanam traces the developments of climate politics and environmental media coverage in Iran, against the backdrop of a highly uncertain political future. Further reading: Sanam’s recent news reporting for The New York Times Sanam’s writing about Iranian reporting and environmental issues for The Conversation Media Framing of Iran’s 2021 Water Protests , Sanam Mahoozi, 2025, City, University of London Send us Fan Mail Click here for our website to read all our most recent Land and Climate Review features and pieces.

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Are the Iran protests a climate story? is an episode from The Economy, Land & Climate Podcast by Land and Climate Review .

This episode is 27:57 long.

This episode was published on Feb 20, 2026.

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