Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in western Iran over a lack of drinking water and the inability of officials to solve the problem, state media reported on Thursday.
Iran, a largely arid country, has for years suffered chronic dry spells and heatwaves that are expected to worsen with climate change.
In the past few months, thousands of people angry over the drying up of rivers have been driven to protest, particularly in central and south-western Iran.
About 200 people gathered in front of the governor's office in Hamadan on Wednesday evening "to protest against the interruption of the urban water network", the state news agency Irna reported.
They were later joined by "several hundred people" in what was a second successive night of protests over water shortages in the western city, Irna reported.
The demonstrators "held empty water bottles in their hands", shouted "slogans against the officials" and "demanded urgent action to provide drinking water to the city", it reported.
Dozens of people, including women, could be seen calling on fellow citizens to "show their courage" and take part in the demonstration, a video published on Thursday by Hamshahri newspaper showed.
Parts of Hamadan had been "experiencing water cuts for eight days", leading to demands from the protesters for the resignation of the governor and "incompetent officials", it reported.
Police last month arrested several suspects for disturbing security after they demonstrated against the drying up of Lake Urmia, in Iran's north-western mountains.
Over the past decade, Iran has also endured regular floods that have been made worse when torrential rain falls on sun-baked earth.
At the end of last month, 96 were killed in more than a week of flooding in several regions, including dozens near Tehran, the authorities said.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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