Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused the West of intentionally destroying rain clouds moving towards Iran, in a move to throw the country into drought.

The president made his comments during a speech in which he addressed the difficulties caused by low rainfall trends, which experts say are threatening to Iran’s agriculture.

"Today our country is moving towards drought, which is partly unintentional due to industry and partly intentional, as a result of the enemy destroying the clouds moving towards our country and this is a war that Iran is going to overcome," he said during his speech in the Caspian Sea city of Gonbad-e Kavus to mark its registration as a Unesco World Heritage site.

The comment is one of several claims on the West trying to turn Iran’s water shortage into a key crisis.

In May 2011, Ahmadinejad accused Western countries of conspiring to cause drought in Iran by using high tech technology to deplete the clouds of raindrops, it was reported at the time.

Iran has experienced a number of droughts in recent years.