TEHRAN, Iran — Following the revelation of illegal construction on Iran’s vaunted Caspian Sea coast, Iranian media outlets and the public are once again focused on the issue of land-grabbing. This illegal practice ignites debate because of the reported involvement of a multitude of officials and state organizations.
On Aug. 16, the floor of the Majles was rocked by a verbal confrontation between two lawmakers who each accused the other of land-grabbing. According to reporters who saw the clash, Kamaladin Pirmoazzen — a member of parliament from Ardabil and the spokesman for the Environment Committee — got up from his seat, walked up to Safar Naeimi Raz, a Principlist parliament member from Astara, and roared, “You have destroyed our natural resources!” Later, Pirmoazzen told reporters who were waiting outside the building that Raz and a previous Ardabil parliament member had been facilitating illegal villa constructions in the Heyran Pass.
Three days earlier, on Aug. 13, the allegation had been the exact opposite. Then, Raz went on live Iranian state television and accused Pirmoazzen and some of his relatives of land-grabbing in the very same stretch of land.
The Heyran Pass is a summer resort located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city of Astara. It has become a popular tourist destination for Iranians during the past decade.
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