“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a member of the Executive Board of UN-Habitat and, over the past several years, has maintained good cooperation and relations with UN-Habitat as a member state. In this framework, the Islamic Republic of Iran has good experience in urban planning and housing policy, all of which are aligned with sustainable urban development,” Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Gholamreza Kazemian Shirvan said in an interview with APA during WUF13.
He said WUF13 is a unique platform for the Iranian delegation both to share its own experience at international events and to learn from the best practices presented by other countries:
“One successful example of cooperation with UN-Habitat is the National Urban Policy document jointly developed with the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2018. We are sharing our experience in preparing and implementing this document and presenting the benefits gained from its implementation at the international level. This also creates opportunities to share our experience in urban planning and housing development with other countries.
In the fields of climate action, climate change, and crisis management, we can share our experience particularly with neighboring countries that have common cultural, social, and historical ties.
A good framework for cooperation can be established in these areas, especially focusing on the Caspian Sea and its coastal cities. We can cooperate effectively in these fields. The Caspian Sea, as one of the main historical heritages of the littoral states, can become a key platform for cooperation among these countries.
Likewise, cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan in this field is also possible. Another message we want to convey through this forum concerns the consequences of the war waged against our country by the United States and Israel. Because we experienced two wars against our country in 2025 and 2026. These wars caused the destruction of more than 150,000 residential units. This affected more than 350 cities and towns across the country. Here, we have demonstrated part of this destruction, the attacks, and their impact on urban infrastructure and residential housing.
I would like to note that we never started a war. The war was against us. Here, we are trying to properly convey to member states the consequences this war created for our country and ensure they receive accurate information.
Our short-term priority is to create the conditions for rebuilding cities and towns affected by the war and to establish participatory mechanisms within this reconstruction process.”
According to the deputy minister, the war had a devastating impact on urban infrastructure:
“The government will now begin preparing a reconstruction plan. Within this framework, one of our plans is to study the experiences of other countries affected by war, including Azerbaijan.”
He also clarified the current status of projects implemented between Azerbaijan and Iran related to transport, logistics, and corridors:
“At the presidential level, Iran is interested in developing this issue and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The Astara-Rasht project had reached a certain stage of progress. However, attacks by the United States and Israel during the recent war affected the process. Nevertheless, we plan to accelerate the process again.
The government is determined to continue this project.”
