Lake Urmia completely dry up - report

Iran's Lake Urmia, once the largest lake in the Middle East, has completely dried up, Iranian media reported.

New satellite images suggest the lake in Iran's West Azerbaijan province is on the brink of collapse.

In August, officials confirmed that Urmia hit its lowest water level at about 1,270 meters. Meanwhile, its water volume dropped to half a billion cubic meters, down from 2 billion in 2024.

Experts said human factors and increasing global temperatures have led to extreme weather worldwide, including longer and more intense droughts. In Lake Urmia's case, higher temperatures caused it to dry up more quickly.

More than natural causes, overexploitation of resources also played a big role. A study published in the Journal of Arid Land revealed that excessive groundwater extraction for agricultural demands was a leading contributor to Urmia's shrinkage.