The study shows that drought triggers ABA accumulation and JA reduction in sorghum roots, accompanied by transcriptional activation of genes linked to mineral homeostasis, hormone signaling, and osmotic regulation, while Fe supplementation enhances ferritin expression and mitigates oxidative stress. Drought also diminishes root bacterial diversity but enriches beneficial taxa such as Burkholderia, whereas fungal diversity remains stable, and functional profiling reveals shifts toward phototrophy, methylotrophy, and nitrate reduction. These findings highlight ferritin’s protective role and suggest specific bacterial inoculants for improving sorghum drought resilience.