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

As Caspian states pursue energy growth, Iran watches

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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Iran’s Escalating Air Pollution Crisis

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On September 26, 2025, the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir ranked Tehran as the most polluted city in the world. A day later, the Iranian capital—along with several other major cities—experienced their most polluted days of the year. Air quality indices in parts of Tehran surpassed the “very unhealthy” threshold, while Mashhad, Isfahan, Urmia, Tabriz, Qom, and several

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Iran boosts gas exports to Turkey despite deepening domestic shortages

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Despite facing a growing domestic gas deficit and widespread use of highly polluting fuel oil, Iran’s gas deliveries to Turkey have continued to surge according to official Turkish energy statistics. Newly released data from Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA), affiliated with the Ministry of Energy show that Iran supplied more than 5.5 billion cubic meters of

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Hope and Anxiety Over Syria’s Economic Revival

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Amidst cautious optimism about reviving Syria’s economy, the country this month hosted two delegations from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to discuss support for its reconstruction. On the eve of the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria’s economic indicators under new President Ahmed al-Sharaa are showing signs of improvement. The World

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