Tehran: In front of innumerable problems, including blocked traffic and an area of the land that sinks in its current capital, Iran is considering a drastic solution: move it to a completely different location in the Gulf of Oman.
Although the idea of moving capital has emerged several times since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the proposals were repeatedly filed as unrealistic due to mass financial and logistics obstacles. But the reformist president Masoud Peeshkian, who assumed the position in July, recently revived the idea, citing Tehran’s growing challenges.
These include traffic grunts, water shortage, poor resource management, extreme air pollution, as well as sinking, gradual sinking of earth mass due to natural processes or human activity.
In January, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajarani said the authorities were studying the possible relocation. “The Makran region is being seriously considered,” he said, without specifying a timeline.
Makran is a coastal area largely under developed in the Gulf of Oman, which extends through the Southern and impoverished province of Sistan-Baluchistan of Iran and part of the neighboring province of Hormozgan. It has been repeatedly promoted as a favorite for movement.
“The ‘Lost Paradise’ of Makran must become the future Economic Center of Iran and the region,” Foreign Minister Abbas Arahchi said in a Sunday speech. In September, fishshkian said: “We have no choice but to move the economic and political center of the country to the south and near the sea.”
Tehran’s problems “only worsened with the continuation of existing policies.”
‘Safe and appropriate’
The rebirth of relocation plans has revived a debate about their need, and many highlight Tehran’s historical and strategic importance. The legislator Ali Khazaei said that whatever the future city that is chosen, must take into account the “rich culture” of Iran.
Tehran, appointed the capital by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in 1786, has served as Iran’s political, administrative and cultural center for more than two centuries. The province of Tehran is currently the home of around 18 million people, as well as a floating population of approximately two million people traveling there during the day, according to Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian.
The city without coastline is located on a plateau inclined at the foot of the Alborz Cordillera with snow cover, combining modern high highs with historical palaces, bazaars bazaars and leafy parks. Meanwhile, Makran is known for his fishing villages, sand beaches and ancient history that goes back to the time of Alexander the Great. Even so, many oppose the possible relocation.
“This would be a completely incorrect movement because Tehran really represents Iran,” said the 28 -year -old engineer Kamyar Babaei, a resident of the capital.
Posted in Dawn, February 19, 2025
