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Will Tehran remain Iran’s political capital?

The government may consider moving the capital, but a change is unlikely.
EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.
A general view shows Tehran's Milad telecommunication tower (L) as the city is covered in dust July 6, 2009. The government closed private educational centres, state offices, industrial units and military bases for two days and raised its pollution alert status due to the dust, which an official from Tehran's environment office attributed the source to dust from dried marsh

On Dec. 24, the Iranian parliament (Majlis) passed the general terms of a bill that would oblige the government to study the feasibility of moving the seat of the government away from Tehran. Tehran has been Iran’s capital for some 200 years, to the dismay of historically more significant cities such as Esfahan, Shiraz or Qazwin. Obviously, nothing can undermine Tehran’s role as the business capital of Iran, but its status as the political capital has been under question for some time, especially in response to uncontrollable air pollution and traffic patterns and the disproportionate concentration of economic and construction activities in the capital. In recent years, one of the reasons cited for the planned move is that Tehran is in an earthquake-prone region. Currently, the severe air pollution can be seen as the main driver for the Majlis deputies who have accelerated moving forward on this bill, which is fully opposed by the Hassan Rouhani administration. The main reason for the government’s objection is the nonavailability of resources for such a massive move of government offices — which would have to be accompanied by investments in infrastructure to house millions of citizens in a new city. Considering the current status of thousands of unfinished infrastructure projects, it is valid to argue that the government will not have the resources for the proposed shift.

Should the bill become law, it would oblige the government to budget for studies in the next two years to gauge the feasibility of shifting the political capital. A so-called “Council for Improvement of the Capital” would be created, headed by the president or the first vice president alongside the minister of interior (as the secretary), two representatives from the Majlis, other relevant ministers, the mayor of Tehran and a representative from the armed forces. This council would have to study and assess various scenarios and propose the most feasible option for the eventual shifting of the political capital.

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