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Spring, a season synonymous with renewal and growth across the globe, descends upon Iran as a deadly threat. The recent floods in Mashhad serve as a stark reminder of the perilous consequences of environmental neglect and the rapacious exploitation of natural resources by the Iranian regime and its affiliates.
Official reports acknowledge significant damage and casualties in Mashhad due to the floods. Harrowing images and videos circulating on social media paint a vivid picture of the devastation and the plight of the victims. However, rather than accepting responsibility and offering aid, government officials have resorted to denial and minimization. In a baffling statement, the crisis manager of Mashhad labeled the flood as “minor” and dismissed the damaged vehicles as “cardboard.”
These flippant pronouncements expose the government’s callous disregard for the lives and well-being of its citizens. While flood victims grapple with a desperate situation, hollow promises only deepen their suffering.
The root cause of these recurring floods in Mashhad lies in unauthorized construction projects and the plundering of natural resources by government-backed entities, particularly the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). The demolition of mountains, construction of roads across natural drainage paths, and the destruction of vegetation all contribute significantly to exacerbating floods.
This disaster underscores the urgent need to sever the access of government agents to these vital resources. Until the relentless looting of natural wealth and the dismissal of expert warnings come to an end, floods and other environmental catastrophes will continue to threaten the lives of Iranian citizens.
Public sentiment in Iran overwhelmingly points towards government institutions, especially the IRGC, the office of the Supreme Leader (Beit Khamenei), and the Astan Quds Razavi (a powerful religious institution), as the architects of this calamity. These entities have effectively usurped control over the environment and the well-being of the Iranian people.
A member of the Mashhad city council attributed the catastrophic flooding to “unauthorized construction of the southern beltway in Kuhshad.” This official further revealed, “They cut the mountains and built a road in the mountains. We warned them many times….”
Another member echoed these concerns, highlighting the inadequacy of flood control measures: “The main issue are the dams which are in the path of rain. This matter was not planned in the southern heights, and there was no opportunity to control the water flow.”
The memory of the 2018 Shiraz floods still lingers painfully in the hearts of Iranians. A mere ten minutes of rain transformed their Eid celebrations into a day of mourning. The culprit in this tragedy – the IRGC – had built a road disrupting the natural flow of water at the Quran Gate, and then proceeded to sell the land off for exorbitant prices. This blatant profiteering resulted in the loss of dozens of lives during the flood.
The devastation of 2018 extended far beyond Shiraz. The floods directly and indirectly impacted an estimated the lives of 10 million. On that day accross 25 provinces, more than 4300 villages and 235 cities were affected, with over 40,000 residential units destroyed and an even greater number damaged.
Each of these occurrences points to the same chilling reality: the unbridled and ruthless plunder of Iran’s natural resources by regime’s entities, primarily the IRGC. This ruling body, driven by greed and profit, has become the direct cause of flood disasters through their destructive construction projects and the decimation of natural barriers like forests and pastures.
The environmental crisis in Iran is not an act of nature, but a direct consequence of the regime’s policies. Until a shift towards sustainable practices and accountability for environmental destruction takes place, the safety and well-being of Iranian citizens will remain under constant threat.
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