Lake Urmia was once one of the biggest saltwater lakes in the world

"That served as the straw that broke the camel's back." In other ways, this is a uniquely Iranian story. Urmia's destruction has unraveled against a backdrop of war, sanctions and no-holds-barred domestic politics. It has all culminated in a situation where even the bid to revive the lake has become intensely politicised. But Urmia's story is different too because, against these odds, the lake is once again beginning to show signs of life.