Pezeshkian has addressed the dire situation of Tehran’s infrastructures and utilities, particularly the lack of rainfall and drying reservoirs, in the past, but this week he insisted that no solution exists to continue maintaining the city’s status as the country’s capital. “I also told the leader of the revolution that we must shift the capital toward the Persian Gulf,” Pezeshkian reportedly said, according to Russian news agency Tass. “Nowadays, we don’t have an alternative anymore. We are compelled to do so. If things remain the same, we will face difficulties.”
The independent outlet Iran International reported that Pezeshkian made his remarks in a nationally televised address, discussing details of the meager rainfall in the city that threatened to leave its estimated 10 million residents without water. “Last year, rainfall was 140 millimeters, while the standard is 260 millimeters. That means rainfall has fallen by about 50 to 60 percent. This year, the situation is just as critical,” Pezeshkian reportedly warned, explaining that moving the capital was “not a choice, it is a mandate.”
Iran’s water supply has been a significant challenge for the functionally socialist, Islamist government of the country for decades. As Iran International noted, “19 major dams nationwide are operating at below 20 percent capacity, while satellite analysis indicates Amir Kabir reservoir outside Tehran is at just 6 percent of usable volume.” Water has been the cause of a major diplomatic crisis with the jihadist Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan, as the two countries share access to the Helmand River and have repeatedly accused each other of hoarding water. The Taliban threatened to “conquer” Iran in 2023 after a border shootout related to water access along the Helmand River. (Read More)
