Raisi orders to "stop the Miankaleh project"; media: Destruction continues at a faster pace

While the official news agency of the Islamic Republic government reported Ebrahim Raisi's "order" to "stop the implementation operations of the construction of the Miankaleh petrochemical plant," some Iranian media outlets have reported that the contractor for this project is working at a faster pace.

The IRNA news agency wrote today regarding this high-risk environmental project that it was "heard" that following Ebrahim Raisi's "order" to the head of the Environmental Organization to "prevent the construction of the Miankaleh Petrochemical Plant", the revocation of the previous government's resolution on it has been placed on the agenda of the Cabinet of Ministers and that "soon" its file will be "closed" forever.

Activists' opposition

The Miankaleh International Wetland is one of the nine "Biosphere Reserves", the first wetland in Iran registered in the World Convention on Wetlands, and an important habitat for migratory birds in the region.

In recent months, this wetland has been the site of serious confrontation between environmental activists and local groups supporting the wetland and contractors implementing commercial and industrial projects within its boundaries, and many social media users have expressed concern over the start and continuation of these projects.

Pressure from representatives

The head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization has stated that the petrochemical complex project "does not have an environmental permit" and that the ground breaking ceremony for its implementation in Miankaleh is "invalid."

Ali Selajeqeh has called the "pressure" from members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly to carry out this project "strange" and said: "In our view, the amount of money spent on this project is not acceptable; in fact, we believe that no money was spent on this project."

Destruction at a faster pace

But in the meantime, the news website "Entikhab", referring to Selajgeh's statements about the Miankaleh petrochemical project, reported that the contractor of this project has "accelerated" its activities despite the statements of government officials.

The website, while publishing videos and images of the current status of the project, reported that the contractors' activities were continuing and wrote that its implementation agents were "destroying the pasture" with "greater speed."

The official media outlet of the 13th government of the Islamic Republic, in another part of its article today, announced the time of the issuance of this "stop order" by Ebrahim Raisi as "the last meeting of the government board" and its content as a review of the construction of the Miankaleh petrochemical complex "with a list of illegal and environmentally harmful cases."

The Miankaleh Wetland also made headlines in February 2017 due to the raid by a large number of armed hunters on parts of it and a 72-hour conflict with the environmentalists of this protected area.

Special support

The petrochemical construction project in this area was launched on October 28, 2020, with the issuance of an initial permit by the Hassan Rouhani government, and was formalized on March 14, 2020, with approval by the Council of Ministers of the Islamic Republic, so that a risky and environmentally hazardous operation could begin five kilometers from the "Miankaleh Wildlife Sanctuary," contrary to domestic laws and international treaties.

Despite widespread opposition to the construction of this anti-environmental project, some government managers, members of parliament, and some media outlets close to the Islamic Republic's military or governing institutions have always implicitly agreed with it or supported its implementation.

Media support

The Fars news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, while interviewing an expert who supports its construction, wrote: "There is no doubt that the construction of this petrochemical plant can lead to very favorable economic growth for the region."

The "Reporters' Club" news agency affiliated with the Islamic Republic Radio and Television, while calling the public protests against the "construction of the Miankaleh Petrochemical Complex" a "controversy," wrote that "some consider it a final blow to the International Wetland and some the only hope for creating employment in the region."

Main sponsors

The "Fararo" news website, which is close to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also reported that Gholamreza Shariati, a representative of Behshahr, Neka, and Galugah in the legislature of the Islamic Republic, was the "most important supporter" of this $370 million project, and wrote that on the day of the groundbreaking, he had said that "the necessary environmental permits" had been obtained.

According to this report, in addition to him, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior of the Islamic Republic, also gave an "implicit endorsement" of the "employment generation and development of the region" with the construction of this petrochemical complex, and while "announcing" the plan, he said that the construction of this complex is "in accordance with environmental conditions and regulations."

Source: Voice of America