A senior government official has rejected claims that the National Land and Housing Organization is hoarding land, saying much of the property under its management lies in areas unsuitable for residential development.

Habibollah Taherkhani, Deputy Minister for Housing and Construction, said in a statement that most of the land held by the organization is located on the outskirts of cities and was transferred under legal provisions. “For instance, in Tehran all elevations above 1,800 meters are under the organization’s ownership. But is construction possible there? Expansion is restricted at those altitudes,” he noted.

Taherkhani stressed that land suitable for housing must first be designated within approved urban boundaries and undergo legal procedures to obtain residential use. He added that numerous extensions to city limits are currently under review, requiring approval from multiple decision-making bodies.

Citing a comparison, he said the Natural Resources Organization controls about 60 percent of the country’s land. “Can that be called hoarding? Certainly not,” he argued.

The deputy minister also pointed to past practices by municipalities, which widened urban boundaries to collect a one-percent levy from factories. In Sirjan, he said, land some 40 kilometers outside the city is still classified as urban fringe and therefore falls under the National Land and Housing Organization’s management.

Taherkhani concluded that while the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development does have land at its disposal, “it is not possible to make sweeping judgments about its use.”