Tehran:
Faced with countless problems, including reserved traffic and a sinking earth's surface in its current capital, Iran is considering a drastic solution – it moves to a completely different location on the Gulf of Oman.
Although the idea of moving the capital on different occasions has surfaced since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the proposals were repeatedly shocked as unrealistic because of the enormous financial and logistical obstacles.
But Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July, recently revived the idea, referring to the growing challenges of Tehran.
These include traffic grage, water shortages, mismanagement of resources, extreme air pollution, as well as subsidence – the gradual sinking of country mass due to natural processes or human activity.
In January spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said the government that the authorities studied the possible relocation.
“The Makran region is seriously considered,” she said, without specifying a timeline.
Makran is a largely undeveloped coastal area on the Gulf of Oman, which extends over the southern, impoverished province of Sistan-Baluchistan of Iran and part of the neighboring province of Hormozgan. It is repeatedly advertised as a leader for the move.
“The 'lost paradise' of Makran must be converted into the future economic hub of Iran and the region,” said Foreign Minister ABBAS Araghchi in a Sunday speech.
In September Pezeshkian said: “We have no choice but to move the economic and political center of the country to the south and near the sea.”
The problems of Tehran were “only exacerbated with the continuation of the existing policy”.
-Safe and fitting '
The revival of relocation plans has ruled a debate about their necessity, with many who emphasize the historical and strategic significance of Tehran.
Law giver Ali Khazaei said that whatever future city is being chosen, must take into account the “rich culture” of Iran.
Tehran, the capital designated by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in 1786, served more than two centuries as the political, administrative and cultural hub of Iran.
The province in Tehran is currently the home of around 18 million people, as well as a floating population of around two million people who commute there during the day, according to governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian.
The city surrounded by land is located on a sloping plateau at the foot of the snow-covered Alorz mountain chain and combines modern high-rise buildings with historic palaces, bustling bazaars and leaf parks.
Makran is now known for its fishing villages, sandy beaches and ancient history that go back to the time of Alexander the Great.
Nevertheless, many oppose the possible relocation.
“This would be a completely wrong move because Tehran Iran really represents,” said 28-year-old engineer Kamyar Babaei, a resident of the capital.
“This city is a symbol of the historic Qajar -Dynasty … a symbol of modernity and of city life,” he added.
Similarly, Professor noted Ali Khaksar Rafsanjani in the “Strategic location” of Tehran in the Ali Khaksar Rafsanjani city planning.
The city “is safe and appropriate in emergency and war situations,” he told the Reformist Etemad -newspaper, and added that Makran on the other side is “very vulnerable” because it is on the Gulf of Oman.
Former mayor of Tehran Pirouz Hanachi says that the problems of the capital can “be solved” and only need “investments” and take measures to develop the city.
There was no official estimate for the budget that was needed to tackle Tehran's urban challenges.
But in April 2024, the then Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that moving the capital could require a budget of “about $ 100 billion”, according to the news website of Tehran, Hamshahri.
'Economic Hub'
The local ISNA press office weighed the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Makran, and said that the region “has the potential to become an important commercial and economic hub”.
But it also noted that the move would contribute to the already heavy financial burdens of Iran, partly the result of decades of international sanctions.
Etemad was also mentioned under the benefits of switching to Makran “Regional development, access to open water and reduced vulnerability to earthquakes”, in contrast to Tehran, which is susceptible to seismic activity.
But it pointed to the heavy costs and disruption of lives, and noted that the movement would be enormous logistical challenges.
Another exhaust valve, Khabar Online, also point to the vulnerability of the Makran region for climate change.
“Climate changes and a lack of water stocks in the Makran region, combined with rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall, have created very fragile environmental conditions that limit the potential of extensive development,” reported it, stating ecologist Hossein Moradi.
For Banafsheh Keynoush, a fellow at the International Institute for Iranian Studies, the choice of Makran could reflect broader strategic ambitions.
“By selecting Makran the next capital, Iran wants to compete with seaports such as Dubai and Gwadar” in neighboring Pakistan, she said in a post about X.
She added that it would give a boost to the nearby coastal city of Chabahar “Despite sanctions” and, crucial, “re -confirmed [Iran’s] Roll in the Persian Golfwaterweg “.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
