Protests broke out on 15 July 2021[1] due to the ongoing water crisis in Iran but spread across the country to other provinces and cities where people organised rallies in solidarity with Khuzestan, including Tehran, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Bushehr, Lorestan, Kurdistan, East Azerbaijan, North Khorasan and Alborz.
[2][3][4][5] Protests were soon dubbed 'The Uprising of the Thirsty" and turned violent as police forces attempted to suppress them due to demands for the end of the current regime.
[8] The violent nature of the protests received a lot media-attention and various government officials made statements promising extended and specific support to the region.
[10][11] Kaveh Madani, former deputy head of the Iranian Environment Department, states that "the problem is rooted in decades of bad management, poor environmental governance and lack of foresight, and not getting prepared for a situation like this.
[4] From an environmental perspective, flash floods in upstream Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province and lowering of precipitation levels have also contributed to increased water scarcity.
[20] Live gunfire was used to disperse crowds of people in Shadegan though the IRNA claimed that the man was accidentally shot by a bullet fired into the air.
[22] On 17 July videos circulated online from citizens, journalists, and media sources present at demonstrations and rallies in Kut-e Abdollah, Karkheh and Shush where regime forces opening fire on protesters, reportedly killing three people.
Gunshots could be heard in other cities as tens of thousands of protesters marched and set vehicles on fire whilst chanting anti-government slogans such as "Death to Khameini".
Demonstrators in Masjed Soleyman chanted, "Police, support us," a reference to local concerns about security forces cracking down harshly on earlier rallies.
Persian-language media based continued to broadcast videos showing marches in Ahvaz, Hamidiyeh, Izeh, Mahshahr, Shadegan and Susangerd.
Pro-shah and anti-regime slogans such as "Reza Shah bless his soul" were chanted as thousands continued to protest in Mahshahr, Susangerd, Izeh, Shush and Bandar Abbas on 22 July, with gunshots becoming apparent.
New-elect president Ebrahim Raisi stated that he would employ a special minister in cabinet to help Khuzestan with its water issues once he begins his term in August 2021.
Sepehri Far, from Human Rights Watch, stated that "Instead of repressing the protests, the Iranian authorities should acknowledge the severity of the water crisis and commit to addressing it urgently at the national level".