Reza Shahbazi, deputy of geology at the Geological Survey Organization, told ISNA that in the mid-2010s, about 10,000 square kilometers of the country’s plains were affected by land subsidence, but that figure has since risen to about 100,000 square kilometers.

Shahbazi added that land subsidence in Iran has expanded significantly in recent years, and many areas that were previously seen as separate patches have now become interconnected. Based on data from the Geological Survey Organization, the extent of subsidence in 1403 (2024) has increased by about 10 times compared with 1395 (2016).

He cited Isfahan, Kerman, Tehran, Alborz, and Qazvin as key areas of subsidence and said that this phenomenon is also expanding in Razavi Khorasan, Mashhad, and the north of this city toward the interior of the city.

Shahbazi also said that subsidence around Lake Urmia has reached about 8,500 to 9,000 square kilometers. According to him, Golestan is also one of the provinces that is critical in terms of subsidence, and this phenomenon has intensified significantly in the north of Khuzestan.

The deputy of geology at the Geological Survey Organization also named Fars, Yazd, and Kerman as areas affected by subsidence.