Minister: Persian Gulf water transfer to Tehran ‘very expensive’ but necessary
Transferring water from the Persian Gulf to Tehran is extremely costly and economically unviable, Iran’s Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said in an exclusive interview with IRNA, adding, however, it may be necessary when human lives are at stake.
Responding to questions about recent government statements that the project is Tehran’s only reliable water source, Aliabadi said producing large volumes of freshwater along the Persian Gulf coast is a major priority for the Ministry of Energy.
He noted that massive desalination plants are under construction in Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, and Khuzestan, with efforts underway to improve economic efficiency and attract private investment.
“If water from southern regions is supplied this way, it could also support population settlement in southern provinces, shifting some of the demographic load away from Tehran,” he said. Aliabadi added that water currently transferred from upstream regions could instead be used to supply Tehran and northern areas, though all such plans require careful expert analysis.
“Transporting water from the Persian Gulf to Tehran is very expensive and not cost-effective, but when human lives are at stake, we will do whatever is necessary,” he said. “However, this water should not be used for agriculture or non-essential purposes.”
Aliabadi stressed that Tehran’s water status is so critical that all possible measures must be considered, provided they are economically feasible. “Sometimes water is used to produce agricultural products that are not economically viable — it would be better not to produce or export those items, as the revenue is far lower than the costs,” he said.
The country has embarked on large-scale transfers of desalinated water from the Oman Sea and the Persian Gulf to eastern and southern region, part of a nationwide program launched in 2021 that includes five desalinated seawater transfer lines designed to ease water shortages.
On Thursday, Aliabadi said the government is accelerating work on a large-scale seawater desalination program with a capacity of two billion cubic meters, describing the initiative as essential to coping with one of Iran’s harshest multi-year droughts.