Tehran (TDI): The Iranian government, in light of the plethora of problems ranging from gridlocked traffic to sinking earth’s surface, is considering moving its capital from Tehran to an altogether different location on the Gulf of Oman.
Though the idea of moving the capital has cropped up on different occasions since 1979, the proposals were repeatedly shelved as unrealistic due to the massive financial and logistical problems.
But reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who assumed charged in July, has recently revived the idea, citing Tehran’s growing challenges, according to AFP.
These include traffic snarls, resource mismanagement, water shortages, extreme air pollution, as well as subsidence —the gradual sinking of land mass because of either natural processes or human activity.
In January, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani stated the authorities were examining the possible relocation.
She said that the Makran region is being seriously considered.
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Makran is a largely undeveloped coastal area on the Gulf of Oman, stretching across Iran’s southern, impoverished Sistan-Baluchistan province and part of neighbouring Hormozgan province.
It has repeatedly been considered as a front-runner for the move.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech on Sunday that the lost paradise of Makran must be transformed into the future economic center of Iran and the region.
In September, Pezeshkian stated: “We have no choice but to shift the economic and political center of Iran to the south and near the sea.”
The revival of capital relocation plans has reignited a debate over their need, with many underlining Tehran’s historic and strategic importance.
Lawmaker Ali Khazaei stated that whatever future city is chosen, it must take into consideration Iran’s “rich culture”.
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Tehran, designated the capital by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in 1786, has served as political, administrative and cultural hub of Iran for over two centuries.
Tehran province is currently home to approximately 18 million people, as well as a floating population of about 2 million who commute there during the daytime, according to Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian.
