Iran will relocate its capital to the southern coastal region of Makran, the government spokeswoman said on Tuesday, in an ambitious plan aimed at bypassing Tehran’s enduring overpopulation, power shortages and water scarcity.
While officials emphasize the strategic and economic advantages of the shift, critics have voiced concerns over likely enormous financial and logistical demands.
“The new capital will definitely be in the south, in the Makran region, and this matter is currently being worked on,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday.
She highlighted Tehran’s growing ecological pressures, including water scarcity and announced the formation of two councils to examine the feasibility of the move and develop a sea-based economy in the Makran region.
“We are seeking assistance from academics, elites and experts, including engineers, sociologists and economists,” she added, while stressing that the issue remains in the exploratory phase and is not urgent.
A divisive, costly undertaking
President Masoud Pezeshkian reignited the debate over the location of the capital, advocating for a move by describing the imbalance between Tehran’s financial resources and expenditures as unsustainable.
Advocating for a shift closer to the Persian Gulf, he said last week, “transporting raw materials from the south to the center, processing them, and returning them south for export drains our competitive capacity.”
However, critics, including conservative journalist Ali Gholhaki, have lambasted the proposal.
“Rebuilding Azadi Stadium takes 18 months and costs 19 trillion rials ($23.75 million); how much time and money does relocating the capital require? Think over a century and hundreds of billions of dollars!” Gholhaki wrote on X, calling the idea unrealistic and risky for a country under severe economic strain.
Discussions about relocating Iran’s capital have persisted since the 1979 Islamic Revolution but have been consistently derailed by financial constraints, political inertia and logistical challenges.
Previous Iranian administrations have considered various versions of the idea, but financial limitations and political stagnation have repeatedly hindered progress.
The concept gained momentum during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency, primarily due to concerns over Tehran’s vulnerability to earthquakes.
In the mid-2010s, President Hassan Rouhani revived the discussion, emphasizing the city's unsustainable growth and mounting environmental issues.
While proponents point to Makran’s strategic location and potential economic benefits, critics argue the move could cripple Tehran’s economy and take decades to complete.
