Tehran: President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the suspension of the Miankaleh petrochemical project in northern Iran in response to mounting environmental concerns.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, administration spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani announced the decision in an X post on Wednesday, stating, 'Following direct instructions from the president to the Mazandaran governor and in response to concerns raised by environmental activists and the public, the Miankaleh petrochemical project has been halted.'

Confirming the news, the administration's official website reported that during a cabinet session earlier in the day, Shina Ansari, head of the Environment Department, presented a report on the project's activities. This presentation prompted the president to immediately contact the Mazandaran governor and order a halt to the project.

The project has faced renewed scrutiny in recent days after images surfaced on social media showing road construction machinery entering the rangelands of Hosseinabad in the city of Behshahr.

The project was originally launched in early 2022, without securing an environmental impact assessment permit. In 2023, the Oil Ministry revoked the approval for the project. Environmental advocates have since called for the return of the 90-hectare area allocated to the project.

In a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Pezeshkian also emphasized the need to take legal action against those who have contributed to the destruction of the region's environment and to prosecute the offenders.