Drought to Flooding, Travel Ban on Iranians and Mass Arrests in Iran | Eye for Iran | EP 82
Author: Iran International English
December 20, 2025
Duration: 1:03:47
Iran's convergence of crises is upending people's lives both inside and outside the country.
On this episode of Eye for Iran, we examine three developments you need to understand right now. Environmental researcher and hydraulic structures expert Roozbeh Eskandari explains how Iran can go from severe drought to destructive flooding, why these extremes are driven by mismanagement rather than nature alone and why flooding does little to resolve Iran’s deepening water crisis.
We then turn to the United States, where expanded travel bans and immigration restrictions are leaving many Iranians in limbo. Iranian-American immigration attorney Ali Rahnama breaks down what the new policies actually mean in practice, who is most at risk and what families should be prepared for in the weeks and months ahead.
Finally, we look inside Iran, where arrests continue following a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer who died under disputed circumstances. Psychotherapist and activist Azadeh Afsahi, who works closely with political prisoners and their families, shares what is known about the detainees, the conditions they face and what these arrests reveal about the reality behind claims of social opening in Iran.
You can catch episode 82 of Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.
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Contents of this video:
Segment 1 – From drought to flooding: Iran’s water crisis
Guest: Roozbeh Eskandari, environmental researcher and hydraulic structures expert
00:00 Intro – Iran at a breaking point
00:13 Why Iran’s drought turned into flooding
02:07 How bad governance drives both extremes
03:10 Climate change as an intensifier, not the cause
05:27 Soil erosion, urban planning and destructive floods
07:19 Environmental injustice and who pays the price
09:18 Why poorer neighborhoods flood first
11:26 Can flooding recharge Iran’s aquifers
13:43 “Territorial collapse” and water bankruptcy
18:51 Water scarcity, social tension and what comes next
Segment 2 – US travel ban and immigration crackdown
Guest: Ali Rahnama, Executive Director of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund
25:36 What the new US travel ban actually changes
27:03 Deportations, paused visas and green card uncertainty
31:42 Asylum seekers, detention and due process concerns
34:59 Allegations of coordination with the Iranian regime
42:29 Notices of intent to deny and legal limbo
46:41 Dual nationals and long-term immigration risks
Segment 3 – Arrests, repression and resistance inside Iran
Guest: Azadeh Afsahi, psychotherapist working with political prisoners
50:17 Arrests after memorial for human rights lawyer
51:30 Families left without information or legal access
54:10 Visible defiance under the same laws and repression
56:10 Toomaj Salehi, trauma and breaking the silence
Segment 4 – Closing
01:03:02 Final thoughts and where to watch or listen
