Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Water use · Iran · 2024–2025

Plans to move Iran's capital to the Makran coast, 2024–2025

Nature's voice · report
My Tehran dams stood at about 14% of capacity on 26 Tir 1404 (July 2025), according to Radio Farda.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record.
Recorded
  • Subsidence in various provinces was cited by the president in November 2025 as a reason not to load more population and construction onto Tehran's area. Ecoiran
  • Climate change, water scarcity and declining rainfall limit development on my Makran coast, according to ecologist Hossein Moradi, cited by AFP. AFP via Gulf News
What the record lacks: 5 none on record · 1 not disclosed · 1 disputed · 2 unclear See the gaps

Iranian officials proposed moving the capital to the Makran coast, citing Tehran's water shortage and land subsidence. The then-interior minister put the cost at around US$100 billion in April 2024; AFP reported in February 2025 that there was no official budget estimate.

≈ US$100bn estimateRelocation cost stated by then-interior minister Ahmad Vahidi, April 2024
Cost stated by the minister, as reported by AFP via Gulf News. AFP reported in February 2025 that no official estimate of the budget required existed.

Status As of November 2025: President Pezeshkian called relocation a national necessity and said sufficient budget did not exist; no budget figure, timeline or confirmed site is on record.

What?
Officials proposed moving Iran's capital to the Makran coast, citing Tehran's water shortage and land subsidence; the then-interior minister put the cost at around US$100 billion and no official budget estimate exists. AFP via Gulf News
Where?
The Makran coast (Sistan-Baluchestan and Hormozgan, Gulf of Oman) as the proposed site; Tehran as the capital to be left. Radio Farda
When?
Cost statement April 2024; presidential statement September 2024; announcements January 2025; statements July and November 2025. AFP via Gulf News
Who?
Gained
None on record
Lost
None on record
Harmed
  • Tehran's water supply and land — Dams at about 14% of capacity in July 2025; subsidence cited by the president in November 2025 Radio Farda
Why?
Officials cited Tehran's water shortage, subsidence and inability to support more population and construction. Ecoiran
How?
Statements by the president, vice president, spokeswoman and ministers; no budget line, timeline or final site on record. AFP via Gulf News
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

In April 2024 the then-interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, said relocating the capital could cost "around $100 billion" (AFP via Gulf News, citing Hamshahri). Radio Farda quoted him as saying that with this cost a decision could not be made immediately. In September 2024 President Pezeshkian said "we have no choice but to move the economic and political centre of the country to the south and near the sea". In January 2025 government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said "The Makran region is being seriously considered", without a timeline. On 14 January 2025 Radio Farda quoted First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref that the government "will not hesitate to move the capital", with Makran a serious option, and Mohajerani that the new capital would "definitely" be a southern city. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the "lost paradise" of Makran "must be transformed into the future economic hub of Iran and the region" (AFP).

On 22 July 2025, at the Environment Protection Organization, Pezeshkian said that scientifically and from an expert standpoint Tehran could not continue as the capital, that had conditions allowed he would already have moved the government to Makran, and that no permit should be issued for development programmes on Iran's central plateau (Radio Farda). The same report put the Tehran dams at about 14% of capacity on 26 Tir 1404 (July 2025).

In Qazvin on about 20 November 2025, Pezeshkian said moving the capital was "no longer a choice, it is a national necessity", that "we did not even have sufficient budget for it" and that "we cannot load more population and construction onto this area", citing subsidence in various provinces (Ecoiran). No budget figure was given.

Critics gave differing assessments. Former Tehran mayor Pirouz Hanachi told AFP that the problems "can be solved" by investment; Radio Farda also quoted a description of the idea as heading down a wrong path, and economist Mohammad Tabibian called it an "illusion"; urban planning professor Ali Khaksar Rafsanjani said Makran was "very vulnerable"; lawmaker Ali Khazaei said any new city must respect Iran's "rich culture"; ecologist Hossein Moradi warned that climate change, water scarcity and declining rainfall limit development in Makran. In a Foreign Policy opinion piece on 26 November 2025, Nik Kowsar and Alireza Nader called relocation "a fantasy, not a solution", wrote that relocation sub-projects would channel contracts to Khatam al-Anbiya and affiliates, without amounts, and cited seismologists on the Makran subduction zone.

  1. 2024Interior minister Vahidi cites a cost of around US$100 billion (April); Pezeshkian says there is no choice but to move south (September)
  2. 2025Spokeswoman and first vice president say Makran is under serious consideration (January); AFP reports no official budget estimate (18 Feb); Pezeshkian at the Environment Protection Organization (22 Jul); Pezeshkian in Qazvin (about 20 Nov); Foreign Policy opinion (26 Nov)

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“we have no choice but to move the economic and political centre of the country to the south and near the sea.”

“The Makran region is being seriously considered.”

“must be transformed into the future economic hub of Iran and the region”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on the "lost paradise" of Makran · 2025 · AFP via Gulf News

“the government will not hesitate to move the capital”

Mohammadreza Aref, first vice president · 14 January 2025 · translated from Persian · Radio Farda

“scientifically and from an expert standpoint, Tehran cannot continue as the capital”

President Masoud Pezeshkian · 22 July 2025 · translated from Persian · Radio Farda

“had conditions allowed, I would already have moved the government to Makran”

President Masoud Pezeshkian · 22 July 2025 · translated from Persian · Radio Farda

“moving the capital is no longer a choice, it is a national necessity”

President Masoud Pezeshkian, in Qazvin · about 20 November 2025 · translated from Persian · Ecoiran

“we did not even have sufficient budget for it”

President Masoud Pezeshkian, in Qazvin · about 20 November 2025 · translated from Persian · Ecoiran

“a fantasy, not a solution”

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Whether moving the capital is a workable response to Tehran's water and subsidence problems
Government and regulators
President Pezeshkian (22 July and November 2025)

Tehran cannot continue as the capital; relocation is a national necessity.

Radio Farda
Government and regulators
Pirouz Hanachi, former Tehran mayor (AFP, February 2025)

The problems can be solved by investment.

AFP via Gulf News
Researchers
Mohammad Tabibian, economist (Radio Farda, January 2025)

The idea is an "illusion".

Radio Farda
Researchers
Ali Khaksar Rafsanjani, urban planning professor (AFP, February 2025)

Makran is "very vulnerable".

AFP via Gulf News
Press and investigations
Nik Kowsar and Alireza Nader, Foreign Policy opinion (26 November 2025)

Relocation is "a fantasy, not a solution"; sub-projects would channel contracts to Khatam al-Anbiya and affiliates (opinion, no amounts); seismologists cite Makran subduction-zone risk.

Foreign Policy (Kowsar & Nader)

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • Relocation to the south was presented as necessary because Tehran could not continue as capital and further population and construction could not be loaded onto the area.
    President Pezeshkian (Radio Farda, 22 July 2025; Ecoiran, November 2025) · Ecoiran
  • Makran was presented as a future economic hub of Iran and the region.
    Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (AFP, February 2025) · AFP via Gulf News

Recorded

  • Cost of around US$100 billion stated by then-interior minister Ahmad Vahidi in April 2024.
    AFP via Gulf News
  • No official estimate of the budget required existed in February 2025 (AFP).
    Al-Monitor (AFP)
  • In November 2025 the president said there was not sufficient budget; no budget figure was given.
    Ecoiran
  • Tehran dams at about 14% of capacity on 26 Tir 1404 (July 2025).
    Radio Farda
  • An ecologist warned that climate change, water scarcity and declining rainfall limit development in Makran.
    AFP via Gulf News

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
Environmental assessment or budget for impacts on Makran—
None on record.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Relocation cost stated by then-interior minister Ahmad Vahidi$100bn
Cost stated by the minister, as reported by AFP via Gulf News, citing Hamshahri.
Currency: USD · Window: 2024. All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • Government of Iran (January–November 2025): Makran is being seriously considered; the president described relocation as a national necessity and said sufficient budget did not exist. · Ecoiran

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Relocation cost stated
≈ US$100bn
Then-interior minister, April 2024
Tehran dams
≈ 14%
Of capacity, 26 Tir 1404 (July 2025)
Official budget estimate
none
AFP, February 2025

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
No court caseNo independent ecological evaluationKey earnings undisclosed

Money

  • None on record Environmental assessment or budget for impacts on Makran — None on record.

Court

Accounts

  • Disputed Whether moving the capital is a workable response to Tehran's water and subsidence problems

Record

  • Not disclosed Not disclosed: an official budget estimate for the relocation; AFP reported on 18 February 2025 that "There was no official estimate for the budget required to tackle Tehran's urban challenges", and the president said in November 2025 that sufficient budget did not exist.
  • None on record None on record: a timeline for the relocation (government spokeswoman, January 2025).
  • Unclear Unclear: the final site; Makran was described as being seriously considered.
  • None on record None on record: an environmental assessment of a Makran capital.
  • Unclear Unclear: the announcement date of the government spokeswoman's January 2025 statement, reported as 7 or 8 January.
  • None on record None on record: court proceedings or insurance relating to the relocation plan.

Did the harm stop?

None on record. The relocation had not been carried out as of the statements of November 2025.

Who paid?

Not on record. No budget exists for the relocation, according to AFP in February 2025 and to the president in November 2025.

Sources

Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

Press and investigations

  6. Iran Can't Run Away From Tehran's Disasters (opinion)
    Foreign Policy (Kowsar & Nader) · 2025-11-26

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