Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on Friday for accelerating the relocation of the Iranian capital from Tehran, describing it as a 'strategic necessity' amid the mounting crises facing the city.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, during an official meeting with several governors, Pezeshkian said that the population density and accumulated environmental and infrastructural problems in Tehran have made relocating the capital a strategic necessity rather than a mere administrative proposal. He noted that the capital, home to around 15 million residents, faces severe challenges, including a housing crisis, high living costs, water shortages, land subsidence, and severe environmental pollution.

The Iranian president added that his government is considering moving the government headquarters to a coastal city on the Persian Gulf, in the south or southeast of the country, without specifying an exact location. Some sources have suggested that Sistan-Baluchestan and Hormozgan provinces are the most likely candidates to host the new capital due to their geographical location and suitable areas for urban planning.

It is worth noting that Tehran, the capital for over 200 years, has long struggled with overpopulation, weak infrastructure, and declining quality of life. Calls to relocate government and administrative functions to other cities have surfaced repeatedly, but previous governments abandoned the plan due to its high political and financial costs. Pezeshkian's administration appears determined to revive the project as part of broader administrative reform and development plans.