Iran

Why Iran’s Economy Is Irreparable Under the Islamic Republic

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Iranians face deepening and severe financial crises, a reality that has fueled nationwide protests and to which the Islamic Republic’s security forces have responded with bloody repression, killing up to 20,000 civilians. Against this backdrop, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated on January 17, 2026, in remarks that reflect a misunderstanding of economic fundamentals, that “government […]

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Iran’s energy trade defies year of US maximum pressure sanctions

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One year after US President Donald Trump returned to the White House and revived the “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iran from his first term, available data show the country’s energy exports remain largely intact. Data from the commodity intelligence firm Kpler, seen by Iran International, show that in 2025 Iran delivered an average of 1.38

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How Trump’s secondary tariffs could hurt Tehran

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A 25 percent tariff on US imports from any country that trades with Iran appears aimed at punishing third countries, but it is likely to hit Tehran far harder. The proposed secondary tariffs were announced by President Donald Trump earlier this week in response to a violent crackdown on protesters in Iran. Some commentators have

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Why Arab States Are Trying to Prevent a U.S. Attack on Iran

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Amid growing speculation about a possible U.S. military strike on Iranian targets—triggered by the horrific killing of thousands of protesters by Iran’s security forces—American news media report that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman are lobbying Washington to prevent military action against Iran. Oman’s foreign minister visited Tehran on January 10, 2026, at the height of the protests, just two

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Iran: The $145 Billion Exit Wound

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Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has dismissed the latest protests as the work of ‘vandals’ seeking to ‘please the U.S. president’. He insists the Islamic Republic ‘will not back down’. While unconfirmed reports suggest he may have a contingency plan to flee should security forces falter, a more firmly documented exodus is already underway —

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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