Chahraman: Tehran's Area Reduced by 100 Kilometers Following Khamenei's Remarks

The head of Tehran's City Council announced a reduction in the city's area following remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stating that the area has decreased from approximately 700 square kilometers to about 600 square kilometers. According to ISNA news agency, Mehdi Chahraman said on Wednesday evening, December 24, during a television program: "In accordance with the Supreme Leader's guidelines regarding the non-expansion of Tehran, we have reduced the city's area in the new comprehensive plan for Tehran." In another part of his remarks, he referred to the approval of Tehran's comprehensive plan in 2007, adding: "In 2012, Tehran for the first time had a detailed plan based on the comprehensive plan approved in 2007." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has emphasized the necessity of preventing construction in Tehran's green spaces in his recent speeches on Tree Planting Day and during meetings with the mayor and members of Tehran's City Council. Meanwhile, experts have warned for about 15 years about the destruction of the green belt surrounding Tehran due to the city's expansion and increased construction on its outskirts. The head of the Health Commission of Tehran's City Council also reported during this television program that approximately "4,500 hectares" of gardens in Tehran have been destroyed over the past 20 years. Rahmatollah Hafezi deemed the City Council's decision in the second and third councils regarding allowing construction on 30% of garden lands as "illegal." According to Mr. Hafezi, about 60% of Tehran's area has been converted into residential and commercial buildings. Alireza Javid, representing Tehran's municipality in this roundtable, responded to Hafezi's remarks by saying: "For about 20 years, owners of gardens were not allowed to build, resulting in the burning of garden trees through acid spraying and staged fires, or by obtaining judicial rulings that annulled the decisions made by the Article 7 Commission." He added: "This inefficiency led representatives of the people in the second term of Tehran's City Council to plan in such a way that 70% of green space would be preserved while owners could also benefit from their rights." Mr. Chahraman further stated that many of these buildings received construction permits at a time when Tehran did not have a detailed plan, and City Council members criticize the construction of these buildings. Peyrooz Hanachi, the Deputy Minister of Urban Development, stated on July 5 of this year that due to the municipality's density sales, Tehran reached its population ceiling 12 years ahead of schedule, with the city's current population being 14 million.