• Rainfall down 89% as officials warn of record dryness.
• Urmia Lake basin targeted first amid devastating water crisis.
• Tehran records lowest rainfall in 100 years, reservoirs shrinking.

TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have launched cloud seeding operations to induce rainfall as the country faces its worst drought in decades, state media reported.

“Today, a cloud seeding flight was conducted in the Urmia Lake basin for the first time in the current water year,” which begins in September, the official IRNA news agency said late Saturday.

Urmia, in the northwest, is Iran’s largest lake, but has largely dried out and turned into a vast salt bed due to drought.

IRNA added that further operations would be carried out in the provinces of East and West Azerbaijan.

Cloud seeding involves spraying particles such as silver iodide and salt into clouds from aircraft to trigger rain.

Last year, Iran announced it had developed its own technology for the practice.

On Saturday, IRNA reported that rain had fallen in Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan and Lorestan in the west, as well as in the northwestern West Azerbaijan province.

It quoted the country’s meteorological organisation as saying rainfall had decreased by about 89% this year compared with the long-term average.

“We are currently experiencing the driest autumn the country has experienced in 50 years,” it added.

State media has shown footage of snow falling on the Tochal mountain and ski resort, located in the Tehran area on the Alborz range, for the first time this year.

Iran, a largely arid country, has for years suffered chronic dry spells and heat waves expected to worsen with climate change.

Rainfall in the capital Tehran has been at its lowest level in a century, according to local officials, and half of Iran’s provinces have not seen a drop of rain in months.

Water levels at reservoirs supplying many provinces have fallen to record lows.

Earlier this month, President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that without rain before winter, Tehran could face evacuation, though he did not elaborate.

Other countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, have also used cloud seeding to artificially produce rain.

Russia has offered to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan to ease growing tensions along their shared border, becoming the second regional power, after Iran, to propose such a role.

According to reports, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry described Pakistan and Afghanistan as important partners for Moscow and warned that ongoing border tensions pose a threat to regional security.

The spokesperson emphasized that stability in the region is a priority for both Russia and the international community, adding that diplomatic efforts could help achieve lasting peace.

Calling dialogue the only sustainable way to resolve disputes, the spokesperson urged both countries to exercise restraint and settle differences through talks.

She also appealed to Islamabad and Kabul to avoid actions that could escalate tensions and to keep communication channels open.

This development follows Iran’s offer on 9 November 2025 to mediate between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, aiming to reduce tensions and promote dialogue.

Diplomatic sources said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi contacted Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar by phone to express concern over the situation.

Araqchi urged both sides to continue negotiations, stressing that all disputes must be resolved peacefully.

Ishaq Dar briefed his Iranian counterpart on Pakistan’s recent engagements with Afghan officials and the current situation along the border.

Sources further noted that Araqchi highlighted the long-standing friendly ties among Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, reaffirming Tehran’s interest in strengthening cooperation with Islamabad across multiple sectors.

During the discussion, the two ministers also reviewed bilateral relations and broader regional and international developments.

Araqchi reiterated Iran’s willingness to provide all possible support to help foster peace and reconciliation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Dar emphasised that regional peace and stability remained Pakistan’s top priority. Both sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain ongoing consultations on the matter.

• Authorities report 20 arrests and 20 administrative detentions.
• Protests erupt nationwide after Nov 1 killing of Mayor Carlos Manzo.
• Gen Z Mexico lead marches, officials blame right-wing groups, bots.

Thousands protested across Mexico on Saturday under the banner of “Generation Z,” denouncing rising violence after the public killing of an anti-crime mayor earlier this month.

In Mexico City, a small group of hooded protesters tore down fences around the National Palace where President Claudia Sheinbaum lives, prompting a clash with riot police who deployed tear gas, according to Reuters witnesses.

Mexico City’s public safety secretary, Pablo Vazquez, said in a press conference that 100 police officers were injured, including 40 who required hospital treatment. Another 20 civilians were also injured, Vazquez told local media outlet Milenio.

The public safety secretary also said 20 people were arrested and another 20 “referred for administrative offences.”

Other marches took place in various cities across Mexico, including in the western state of Michoacan, where anger has flared over the murder on November 1 of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who was shot dead at a public Day of the Dead event.

Some demonstrators in Mexico City targeted their ire at Sheinbaum’s party, chanting, “Out, Morena.” Some also called for stronger state efforts to stop crime and violence, shouting, “Carlos did not die, the government killed him.”

A group calling itself “Generation Z Mexico” that called for the protests has said in a “manifesto” circulating on social media that it is non-partisan and represents Mexican youth who are fed up with violence, corruption and abuse of power.

Generation Z refers to people born between 1997 and 2012, on the heels of the millennials, and protest groups in other countries across the globe have taken on the label to push for social and political change.

Sheinbaum’s government has questioned the motives behind Saturday’s marches, saying they were organised in large part by right-leaning political opponents and promoted by bots on social media.