Iran considers moving capital from Tehran Reasons unveiled

Iran’s president has indicated that the country may have no choice but to relocate its capital from Tehran to the southern regions, citing the city’s over-expansion, severe water shortages, and the increasing risk of land subsidence.

Masoud Pezeshkian said on October 2 that he had first raised the proposal with the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last year.

While acknowledging that the idea had faced substantial criticism, he argued that the escalating resource crises in Iran make it an unavoidable necessity.

Speaking during a visit to Hormozgan province on the Persian Gulf, across from Dubai, Pezeshkian highlighted the economic and strategic potential of the region.

“This region is located on the shores of the Persian Gulf and provides direct access to open waters and the development of trade and economic relations. If we have a different view of the capacities of this region, we can create a very prosperous and advanced region. It is not good enough to accept the current situation and not design a scientific, accurate and indigenous map for the future,” he said.

Pezeshkian stressed that Tehran, along with nearby cities Karaj and Qazvin, is currently grappling with a serious water crisis that cannot be easily resolved.

“The problems the country is currently facing require us to direct the development path towards the Persian Gulf. Tehran, Karaj, and Qazvin are currently facing a water crisis, and this crisis cannot be easily solved,” he said.

Tehran has grown to a population exceeding 10 million and consumes nearly a quarter of Iran’s water resources, underscoring the urgent need for long-term planning.

By Tamilla Hasanova