The speaker asserts that the Iranian "water mafia," consisting of regime insiders and the IRGC, has prioritized lucrative but environmentally destructive dam and industrial projects over actual water

“From this collaboration would emerge Iran's water mafia, a cartel of ministry officials, politically connected consultants, IRGC contractors, and of course, their allies. No one could challenge these guys. And as a result, dams and water diversions became engines of patronage, enriching insiders, ki”