TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Transport and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh has called for city master plans to incorporate passive defense principles, including revised construction standards for high-rise buildings to ensure greater public safety.

Speaking at the sixth session of Iran’s Supreme Council of Urban Planning and Architecture this year, which focused on the Astara master plan, urban development in Gonbad-e Kavus, and the proposed addition of military training grounds to the city limits of Gorgan under the National Housing Movement, Sadegh emphasized the heightened need for urban resilience.

“On the eleventh day of all-out war with the enemy, it’s evident that Israel’s calculations have collapsed in the face of public solidarity,” said Sadegh, who chairs the council. “They believed they could sway the people, but they have failed—and this failure increases the weight of our responsibilities as officials.”

Sadegh urged council members and technical committees to ensure population centers are not located near high-risk facilities and to prioritize passive defense criteria in all comprehensive plans.

She also called for a review of construction practices for tall buildings, particularly regarding the integration of shelters and safety measures for residents.

The minister said the Road, Housing and Urban Development Research Center will lead the review of high-rise construction protocols, with findings to be submitted for consideration and approval in upcoming sessions of the council.

EF/MA