Jiroft, in southeast Iran, is home to one of the oldest human civilizations. This city, which is located on the Iranian plateau, is about five thousand years old, and the inscriptions found there are older than the cuneiform script of Mesopotamia. In the past, it was known as the “Little India,” and in recent years, it has been referred to as the “California of Iran.”
However, what makes this city memorable is its other name, “Deqyanus,” which dates back to the Seljuk period. Jiroft, situated along the Halil River, was once one of the largest, most important, and wealthiest cities in Iran.
Today, Jiroft is struggling with the destruction caused by floods, losing its historical, material, and human resources. As soon as rains begin, which should mark the start of the planting season, the lack of infrastructure, resources, equipment, and adequate prevention measures leads to widespread flooding, resulting in the loss of valuable property and lives. In April 2023, the collapse of a flood barrier and the overflow of the river caused extensive damage to people’s properties, and several residents lost their lives.
The Devastating Flood and the Innocent Victims
On the evening of September 30, several children were swimming in the river 30 kilometers from Jiroft when they were caught in an accident due to rain and the river’s floodwaters. Local residents rushed to help, but unfortunately, 14 Afghan nationals and one Iranian lost their lives. “The Jiroft governor, stating that the body of the last missing person from the Halil River’s flooding was found, said: 15 people lost their lives in this incident” (IRNA, October 1, 2024).
This time, the flood victims were Afghan nationals who worked together as families in an orchard. Their children had gone swimming in the river, but the rains upstream created a flood that swept away these innocent children.
A Legal Case for the Jiroft Flood Incident
In response to every disaster, Iranian regime officials resort to simplification and create legal cases to hide the real culprits. “The prosecutor of Jiroft announced the formation of a legal case regarding the Jiroft flood, which resulted in the death of 15 people, and said: Judicial action will be taken regarding negligence and failures” (IMNA, October 1, 2024).
The real culprits who should be arrested and tried are the corrupt regime officials who for forty years have deprived the Iranian people of prosperity, welfare, and a bright future while filling the pockets of government officials and security forces. They continue to execute people and export fundamentalism and terrorism to the countries of the region. To cover up the criminals, they even blame the meteorological department, claiming that they didn’t properly warn about the weather. “The Jiroft prosecutor said: In the flood crisis, the negligence of responsible departments, including the provincial meteorology department, will be investigated. The Meteorological Department had not issued any warnings regarding the weather, thunderstorms, or sudden floods in Jiroft.”
Jiroft’s Historical Backwardness
Like many other cities in Iran, Jiroft has been left behind in terms of growth and development under the mullahs’ rule. Even the government-appointed mayor of Jiroft is forced to admit: “Jiroft suffers from historical underdevelopment. Our economy is sick and unpredictable, and we can’t say with certainty where we will be next year. A sudden frost or a pest can destroy everything. Moreover, we don’t have financial resources that can be planned for; the budget is merely proposed and not planned or precise” (Kerman No, March 7, 2022).
The Impact of Economic Problems on Security Issues
It is interesting that the appointed representative of Jiroft in Parliament is more concerned about security issues than the conditions of the deprived people in southern Kerman. “Behnam Saeedi, in a meeting with members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said: When farmers face economic challenges, this can affect security issues” (Mehr News Agency, September 12, 2024).
For years, land grabbing in valuable areas of Jiroft has been an issue, but the clerical regime cannot and will not expose its corrupt officials. One example of land grabbing that was exposed involves the CEO and chairman of the company responsible for the reclamation of lands under the Jiroft dam. The Jiroft prosecutor said that most of the illegal activities and land allocations in this case date back to the 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, two land grabbing cases are under investigation: one involving 250 hectares divided into several towns, and the other involving 3,200 hectares of land under the Jiroft dam, valued at 10 trillion rials (approximately $200 million), according to the regime’s Etemad newspaper on September 14, 2020.
From the floods and destruction in Jiroft and other plundered cities to the land-grabbing cases, the agents of the religious fascist regime are only concerned with security and maintaining their illegitimate power. However, soon they will see that the final flood will sweep away all their accumulated wealth.