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Its Allies’ Falls Continue the Destruction of Iran’s Financial Capital

Iran, Iran economy, World / Leave a Comment /

Venezuela’s multibillion-dollar debts to Iran have fallen into uncertainty following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro—an ally of the Islamic Republic—by the United States. Some former Iranian officials and members of parliament have cited debts of between $2 billion and $4 billion that Venezuela owed to Iran. The likely default by Venezuela comes after the December 2024 collapse […]

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It’s the economy: grim livelihoods explain Iranian anger

Iran, Iran economy, Iran Energy / Leave a Comment /

The fate of the Iranian economy is increasingly shaping debates about the country’s future—one that may prove decisive regardless of how its current political struggles unfold. Public frustration over rising living costs has once again spilled into protests across the country, shining a harsh light on how state resources are allocated and managed. As demonstrations

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2025: Trump–Khamenei’s Lose-Lose Standoff Over Oil Exports

Iran, Iran Energy / Leave a Comment /

The Donald Trump administration’s actions since the beginning of 2025 to increase pressure and sanctions on the Islamic Republic with the aim of “halting” Iran’s oil exports have been largely unsuccessful, although this policy has sharply raised the costs for Tehran of evading sanctions. The Trump administration had promised to reduce Iran’s oil exports to

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Tax Increase in Iran to Finance the IRGC and Religious Institutions

Iran, Iran economy / Leave a Comment /

The Iranian government has proposed a 63 percent increase in tax revenues in its draft budget for the next fiscal year, a move that underscores the Islamic Republic’s effort to redirect greater financial resources toward military, security, and religious institutions. Budget documents for the fiscal year beginning March 21, 2026, show that direct allocations to

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The Year in Review: Iran’s Deepening Economic Crisis

Iran, Iran economy / Leave a Comment /

Iran experienced one of its worst economic and energy crises in 2025. Negative economic growth coincided with 49 percent inflation, shortages and rationing of energy and water, a collapse in the value of the national currency, an unprecedented government budget deficit, extreme urban air pollution, and a twelve-day war with Israel that inflicted heavy damage on Iran’s nuclear program—along with

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Stunning aerial view of Baku's Flame Towers with the Caspian Sea in the backdrop.

As Caspian states pursue energy growth, Iran watches

CA Energy, Caucasus, Caucasus Energy, Central Asia, Iran, Iran Energy / Leave a Comment /

As Azerbaijan and other Caspian Sea states deepen partnerships with Western energy companies to extract more oil and gas from aging offshore fields, Iran stands apart as the only Caspian littoral country that produces no hydrocarbons from the sea at all. Across the region, governments are racing to modernize reservoir management as competition for long-term

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Aerial view of a ship docking at an industrial port with storage tanks in North Jakarta.

US seizure of tanker off Venezuela may squeeze Iran’s shadow oil trade

Iran, Iran Energy / Leave a Comment /

The seizure by US forces last week of an oil tanker in the Caribbean for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Iran and Venezuela may signal a policy shift that could endanger the funding of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran’s budget for this fiscal year had given the sprawling paramilitary body new economic power by

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Detailed view of Iranian rial banknotes held in hand, illustrating finance and economy in Iran.

Iran’s currency collapse accelerates as inflation surges

Iran, Iran economy / Leave a Comment /

The Iranian rial has resumed falling at an increasingly rapid pace in recent days, with new record lows set almost daily. The Iranian currency has lost 20 percent of its value in just one month, with the U.S. dollar now trading at around 1.32 million. During this same period, the official data and domestic media

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Sub‑standard gas: Iran’s shift to low‑quality petrol

Iran, Iran Energy / Leave a Comment /

A grey afternoon in Tehran begins with the growl of thousands of vehicles. Yet beneath the familiar bustle lies a troubling transformation: the government has quietly shifted much of the country’s mobility onto low‑octane, additive‑laden petrol. Confidential data from the national refining and distribution company reveal that consumption of sub‑standard “ordinary” fuel has soared —

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Iran’s Dirty Revival — A 540% Jump in Mazut‑Burning in One Province

Iran, Iran Energy / Leave a Comment /

Over the past year, air pollution in Iranian cities has visibly worsened. But the smoke that hangs over Tehran, Zanjan, and Bushehr is more than seasonal haze — it is the result of a deliberate shift in energy policy. Confidential data from Iran’s Ministry of Oil, obtained and reviewed by Iran Open Data, reveal that

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