Though the idea of moving the capital has cropped up on various occasions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the proposals were repeatedly shelved as unrealistic due to the massive financial and logistical hurdles.
These include traffic snarls, water shortages, resource mismanagement, extreme air pollution, as well as subsidence -- the gradual sinking of land mass due to either natural processes or human activity.
“The Makran region is being seriously considered,“ she said, without specifying a timeline.
“The ‘lost paradise’ of Makran must be transformed into the future economic hub of Iran and the region,“ said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a Sunday speech.
Tehran’s problems had “only worsened with the continuation of existing policies”.
The revival of relocation plans has reignited a debate over their necessity, with many highlighting Tehran’s historic and strategic significance.
Tehran, designated the capital by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in 1786, has served as Iran’s political, administrative and cultural hub for over two centuries.
The landlocked city sits on a sloping plateau at the foot of the snow-capped Alborz mountain range, blending modern high-rises with historic palaces, bustling bazaars and leafy parks.
Still, many oppose the possible relocation.
“This city is a symbol of the historic Qajar dynasty... a symbol of modernity, and of urban life,“ he added.
The city “is safe and appropriate in emergency and war situations”, he told the reformist Etemad newspaper, adding that Makran is on the other hand “very vulnerable” as it sits on the Gulf of Oman.
There was no official estimate for the budget required to tackle Tehran’s urban challenges.
‘Economic hub’
But it also noted that the relocation would add to Iran’s already heavy financial burdens, in part the result of decades of international sanctions.
But it pointed to the heavy costs and disruption of lives, noting that the move would pose massive logistical challenges.
“Climate changes and a lack of water resources in the Makran region, combined with rising temperatures and declining rainfall, have created very fragile environmental conditions that limit the potential of extensive development,“ it reported, quoting ecologist Hossein Moradi.
“By selecting Makran as possibly the next capital, Iran aims to compete with seaports like Dubai and Gwadar” in neighbouring Pakistan, she said in a post on X.
She added that it would provide a boost to the nearby coastal city of Chabahar “despite sanctions” and, crucially, “reassert [Iran’s] role in the Persian Gulf waterway”.
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