Iranian President Proposes Capital Relocation from Tehran Over Environmental Crisis

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared relocating the nation's capital from Tehran to a city along the Persian Gulf coast a strategic necessity due to severe urban and environmental crises. Tehran faces critical challenges including unaffordable housing, acute water shortages, subsidence reaching up to 30 centimeters in some areas, and massive air pollution, which threaten the city's sustainability and residents' quality of life. The president has emphasized that continuing on the current path will exacerbate these problems and that the capital's move is essential not only for economic and political reasons but also for environmental sustainability and preserving water reserves. While previous leaders have considered this relocation, Pezeshkian is pressing for decisive action, noting that Tehran's infrastructure is overburdened by its population of around 15 million plus millions commuting daily from suburbs. Though no specific new capital city has been named, provinces such as Hormuzgan and Sistan-Baluchistan are considered likely candidates. Critics warn that the high costs of moving the capital amid economic sanctions pose challenges, but supporters view relocation as crucial to decentralizing population pressures and fostering sustainable development.