Miankaleh: The Miankaleh petrochemical zone in northern Iran has been returned to national lands, as announced by Administration spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani. This development follows a directive issued by President Masoud Pezeshkian last week to cease the petrochemical project.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Mohajerani shared the update via her official X account on Sunday. The presidential directive was in response to increasing environmental concerns voiced by activists and the public. These concerns were further amplified when recent images circulated on social media, depicting road construction machinery entering the rangelands of Hosseinabad in the city of Behshahr.

The project, initially launched in early 2022 without an environmental impact assessment permit, was revoked by the Ministry of Petroleum in 2023. Since the revocation, environmental advocates have been advocating for the return of the 90-hectare area that was previously allocated to the project.

During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Pezeshkian stressed the need for legal action against those accountable for the environmental damage and emphasized prosecuting the offenders.