Display omitted •Fe(III)-MOFs were synthesized by microwave-assisted ball approach.•Fe(III)-MOFs were successfully used for removal of organic dyes in aqueous solutions.•The removal of organic dyes process was carried out under natural light. Fe-based metal-organic frameworks(Fe(III)-MOFs)were synthesized by Fe2(SO4)3 and trimesic acid using microwave-assisted ball milling method. The structure of the Fe(III)-MOFs was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The thermostability of the MOFs was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Fe(III)-MOFs were added in aqueous solutions to remove organic dyes. The removal efficiencies of Orange II, CR and MB reached 95.9%, 98.7%, 95.7% respectively at 10℃ and reached 97.7%, 99.7%, 97.5% respectively at 35℃ in 300 min.