Iran's president warns of brain drain as youth look abroad

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday voiced concern over the country’s brain drain, calling for a cultural shift that encourages youth to invest their talents in developing Iran rather than seeking opportunities abroad.

“We are raising children whose minds are set on leaving the country,” Pezeshkian said in a public address. “We must raise children whose thoughts are rooted in their land and who devote their efforts to building this nation.”

“The goal is not to hand our science and art to the Americans,” he added. “True achievement is when this knowledge serves our own country.”

Iran is grappling with a growing exodus of professionals and students, particularly from the medical sector, amid mounting economic hardship.

Authorities have recently empowered the passport and immigration police to monitor elite migration in coordination with the National Elites Foundation, which operates under the presidency.