Extended Abstract
Introduction
Stable access of political-geographical units to water resources plays a decisive role in optimal land management, balanced development, preservation of national integrity, and territorial cohesion. Conversely, tension and conflicts at subnational, national, and supranational scales arise when there is instability in accessing water resources. The significance of this issue doubles when considering Iran's geographical location, inherently characterized by low precipitation, which is also temporally and spatially uneven, leading to water scarcity and deficiency, particularly in the central and eastern regions of Iran. This, coupled with an imbalance in water resources and consumption in the country, has resulted in various problems, compelling the governments to overcome water scarcity, meet growing water demands, achieve economic and social development, and establish regional balance. Consequently, the governments have resorted to measures such as water transfer. However, the water transfer solution not only fails to solve the water problem but also leads to environmental degradation and exacerbates tensions and conflicts. The water crisis has not solely resulted from physical water scarcity but is deeply rooted in inappropriate and weak water policies and power relations. In recent decades, due to natural factors (climate change, precipitation pattern fluctuations, drought, etc.) and human factors (population growth, urbanization, industrial expansion, agricultural development), pressure on water resources in the central and eastern plateau has increased. The natural capacity to meet the needs of its inhabitants is insufficient, prompting efforts to transfer water from the Oman Sea and the Persian Gulf. Considering the diverse economic, environmental, and social impacts of this water transfer project, our attention is drawn to the variables involved in this transfer and the formation of water allocation and distribution by power relations. This research aims to identify and analyze the components involved in this transfer from the perspective of political ecology. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to address water issues in a way that considers the complexities of power and politics in water resource management.
 
Methodology
The present research is descriptive-analytical and has both applied and theoretical objectives. The required sources and information for this research have been collected through
 
documentary and library research, utilizing books, scientific articles, and reputable websites (governmental, non-governmental, news agencies, etc.). Furthermore, to understand the structures and interrelationships of political ecology with related topics, data was extracted from the Web of Science scientific database to visualize these connections. Therefore, first, the natural and human characteristics of the studied area are described in the water transfer plan; then, according to the nature of the work, its effective components have been analyzed and deduced based on qualitative analysis. Also, by using GIS software, the required maps were prepared and research forms were drawn using Smart Art.
 
 
Results and Discussion
The perspectives of the political ecology approach to water in Iran are based on power considerations to seek common ground between water, infrastructure, and political governance. It examines who decides on water systems and how historical, cultural, and socio-economic actions lead to unequal water distribution in Iran. The political ecology of water in Iran attests that water is not merely a physical substance but a social and cultural structure shaped by political, economic, and cultural factors. Understanding the complex interaction among these factors and their impact on water resource management informs effective strategies in management that are fair, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of various stakeholders. In recent decades, Iran has accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding institutional, organizational, and political aspects of water management. This includes developing frameworks for shared water rights, cultural policies based on water-related identities, and popular struggles for water justice. Empowering economically and socially disadvantaged groups in society to achieve environmental justice is a central theme in the political ecology of water in Iran. The emergence of water conflicts relates to one of the key issues in Iranian water political ecology, namely the changes resulting from the availability of water in quantity and quality desired by the beneficiaries (the wealthy and powerful). Therefore, conflicting goals and values of stakeholders involved in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea water transfer project, especially when official political institutions resist change, can be a significant challenge, and social movements arising from water disputes can alter power dynamics.
The emergence of the political ecology of water in the central and eastern regions of Iran is a result of various and diverse variables. The most important among them include climate change, improper location of water-intensive industries in dry and water-scarce regions, self-centered focus in the agricultural sector, negligence of legislators and managers in extracting and excessively using surface and groundwater resources, dominance of thinking in creating water structures, the role of parliament representatives in inter-basin and inter-provincial water transfer, improper and detrimental decision-making processes, state ownership of water, inefficiency of the water economic system, privatization of water management and its consequences for justice and access, and misguided development policies in Iran.
 
Conclusion
In the past decade, due to a combination of natural and human factors, pressure on water resources in the central and eastern plateau of Iran has increased, and the natural capacity to meet the needs of its inhabitants is insufficient. This has led to the initiation of water transfer from the Oman Sea and the Persian Gulf. Considering the diverse economic, environmental, and social impacts that this water transfer project may have, our attention is drawn to the formation of water allocation and distribution by power relations and the influential variables in this transfer. The key components and factors contributing to the emergence of the political ecology of water transfer from the Oman Sea and the Persian Gulf to central and eastern regions of Iran include:

Climate change; 2.Improper location of water-intensive industries in dry and water-scarce regions; 3.Self-centered focus in the agricultural sector;4.Negligence of legislators and managers in extracting and excessively using surface and groundwater resources;5.Dominance of thinking in creating water structures;6.Role of parliament representatives in inter-basin and inter-provincial water transfer;7.Improper and detrimental decision-making processes;8-State ownership of water and inefficiency of the water economic system;9. Privatization of water

 
management and its consequences for justice and access;10. Misguided development policies in Iran.
Hydrologically, the ecosystem of each basin emerges and evolves with the optimal and efficient use of the available water in that basin. Water use in each basin should be regulated according to the amount of water available in that basin. Water transfer, therefore, should be considered a temporary program resulting from a supply-centric approach without regard for sustainable development and ecosystem preservation. Consequently, power relations have led to conflicts and tensions related to the water resources of this region, creating intense competition in the distribution and use of these resources.
 
 
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.