TEHRAN (Iran News) Mohammadreza Bahraman, Vice President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture and Head of the House of Mines of Iran, made the remarks during a specialized meeting with judges and judicial officials involved in the mining sector of Khuzestan Province. The meeting was hosted by the Ahvaz Chamber of Commerce.

Bahraman said Iran’s enemies are seeking to weaken the country by targeting its economy, adding that under such circumstances, safeguarding capital and creating a secure environment for economic activity are unavoidable necessities. “Capital either disappears or leaves the country in an insecure environment,” he warned.

Referring to the decisive role of the judiciary in creating economic security, he said that if the impact of various institutions on national development were assessed, the judiciary would play a distinctive and determining role, as facilitating decision-making and reducing the effects of domestic and foreign sanctions depend on judicial security.

Criticizing what he described as a criminalizing approach in some supervisory processes, Bahraman said one of the country’s serious challenges today is managers’ fear of making decisions. “When oversight moves toward criminalization, managers avoid signing necessary decisions, leading to prolonged uncertainty in mining cases,” he said.

He emphasized that development cannot be realized without the judiciary’s active role and legal support, noting that such support is what attracts and protects investment.

Bahraman also pointed to global developments in the mining sector and growing competition among countries over strategic resources, saying that the mining-based economy has replaced the oil-based economy. “The future of countries’ development depends on access to and exploitation of mineral resources,” he said, adding that Iran has unique capacities that have yet to be fully utilized.

Referring to what he called a “mining revolution,” Bahraman said the exploitation of rare and critical elements could generate employment, increase foreign currency revenues, and improve livelihoods.

He further stressed the need to return mining royalties to the regions where extraction takes place, noting that under the law, part of mining revenues must be spent on infrastructure development and the welfare of local communities. Failure to implement this, he warned, could lead to social dissatisfaction and legal disputes. Proper enforcement of the law and the return of royalties, he added, would help reduce local conflicts and judicial costs.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants underscored the importance of increasing miners’ familiarity with relevant laws and regulations. Bahraman expressed hope that through proper implementation of laws, judicial support, and protection of public resources, the country’s mineral capacities would be transformed into sustainable public wealth.

Shahla Amouri, head of the Ahvaz Chamber of Commerce, also highlighted the private sector’s significant capacity to create jobs and boost economic growth in Khuzestan, saying that realizing this potential requires reforming legal procedures and strengthening judicial support for economic actors.

Speaking at the same meeting, Amouri said the judiciary is one of the institutions trusted by economic activists, and that enhancing interaction and mutual trust between the judicial system and the private sector could play an important role in reducing unemployment and social problems.

She noted Khuzestan’s high unemployment rate, saying the province ranks at the top nationally and that the continuation of this situation has exacerbated social harms such as divorce and addiction. “The private sector, relying solely on its own capital and without dependence on government resources, has the ability to create sustainable employment,” she said.

Referring to national assessments of investment security, Amouri said official reports indicate that Khuzestan faces challenges in investment security indicators, but that these could be turned into an opportunity to restore investment and rebuild trust through procedural reforms, judicial support, and inter-agency cooperation.

She also pointed to Khuzestan’s strategic role in the national economy, noting that despite the province’s oil, gas, and infrastructure resources being exploited at the national level, its trade balance remains negative due to large imports of raw materials and essential goods, reflecting a lack of a supportive, development-oriented approach.

Amouri highlighted a major private-sector investment project in the Shadegan area, saying a project valued at more than 420 trillion rials in recreational, healthcare, tourism, accommodation, and industrial sectors could significantly improve local livelihoods and enable sustainable use of the internationally registered Shadegan Wetland. ” Iran’s Economy ”

She stressed the need to facilitate licensing procedures and provide judicial and executive support for the project, saying backing such initiatives could serve as an effective model for balanced development and reducing deprivation in less-developed areas.

Addressing challenges faced by mining operators, Amouri said unfounded complaints and certain irregular actions by executive bodies—particularly in the mining sector—have placed additional pressure on operators and, in some cases, led to unfair rulings. ” Iran’s Economy ”

She also criticized the non-implementation of certain legal provisions, including Article 56 of the bylaw on the temporary suspension of mines in circumstances beyond operators’ control, saying such practices have weakened private-sector activity.

Amouri further pointed to shortcomings in the performance of the investment “single window,” saying disruptions in inquiry processes have prolonged licensing procedures and constitute a major obstacle for investors.

In closing, she emphasized the need to calculate mining royalties based on actual extraction levels and called for effective judicial support for the private sector to remove obstacles to the development of mining and downstream industries in Khuzestan.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Speaking at the end of a short visit to Isfahan on Friday, Araghchi said the Foreign Ministry has never neglected its core mission of seeking to lift sanctions, even during the most complex and tense periods.

However, he underlined that termination of sanctions is only achievable through real, fair, and dignified negotiations based on mutual respect rather than pressure or threats.

Araghchi also said that by emphasizing the need to learn to live with sanctions, he was not advocating their acceptance, but rather stressing that the country’s production, trade, and development should not be put on hold while passively waiting for sanctions to be lifted.

According to the minister, the Foreign Ministry has defined two parallel missions: first, working to remove unjust US and Western sanctions that have inflicted significant costs on Iran’s economy; and second, reducing their impact by actively supporting economic cooperation, particularly with regional partners and neighboring countries.

Araghchi noted that economic diplomacy has entered an operational phase, focusing on resolving banking, transportation, and legal obstacles and facilitating foreign partnerships.

He added that provincial diplomacy aims to directly link local economic capacities with Iran’s foreign economic policy.

The foreign minister also emphasized that neutralizing sanctions is impossible without addressing internal obstacles, including complex regulations that undermine entrepreneurs’ motivation.

He said sanctions had forced Iran to diversify its economy, reduce dependence on oil, expand non-oil exports, and explore new trade routes.

Araghchi stated that persistent efforts to lift sanctions should go hand in hand with building a resilient economy that does not depend on a single source, route, or external decision.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Despite historical trends of increased consumer demand during Esfand, this year’s market failed to deliver the expected boost. The overall economic PMI, adjusted for seasonal effects, stood at 48.7—remaining below the neutral 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction. While this was a slight improvement from February’s 47.0, it still reflects a sluggish and shrinking economic environment.

The report highlights that four of the five main components of the index—production volume, new customer orders, inventory of raw materials, and employment—registered declines. Only the speed of delivery of orders showed improvement.

Production continued to fall for the fifth straight month, albeit at a slower pace compared to February. Businesses reported difficulty planning ahead due to sharp price fluctuations in raw materials, currency volatility, and limited access to financing. A rise in production costs and uncertainty about future demand have led many firms to reduce operations or halt expansion plans.

The decline in consumer purchasing power, largely attributed to soaring inflation and high living costs, meant that even the traditional uptick in March demand failed to materialize. New orders fell for the 11th time this year, with the index staying well below 50—indicating ongoing contraction. Compared to the same month in previous years, the situation was significantly worse.

Inventory levels of raw materials dropped more rapidly in March than in previous months. A combination of exchange rate volatility, limited foreign currency allocations, and customs delays has driven up import costs and disrupted supply chains. Many producers found it increasingly difficult to maintain optimal inventory levels, especially as domestic raw material supplies have also been constrained.

The surge in exchange rates has not only raised the cost of imported materials but has also eroded profit margins, placing more financial pressure on producers. As a result, final product prices remained high throughout March, although the pace of price increases slowed slightly compared to February.

Final product inventories also declined for the fifth consecutive month, a trend driven by reduced production volumes and limited customer orders. High production costs and financial constraints have made it difficult for firms to restock, while prevailing uncertainty has led many to adopt a cautious approach to inventory management.

Employment continued to decline in March, reflecting the ongoing recession in both production and demand. With fewer new orders and falling output, many businesses saw no need to hire additional workers. Simultaneously, some firms actively cut back on labor costs in response to rising expenses for inputs and overhead, further weakening the job market.

Worsening economic conditions and low wage levels have also dampened workers’ willingness to take on or retain jobs, exacerbating the labor market downturn.

The PMI for Iran’s industrial sector saw a slight rebound in March, reaching 50.3—just above the neutral mark—thanks in part to a small increase in employment and a longer delivery timeline for orders. However, three of the five main components—production, new orders, and inventory of raw materials—continued to decline.

Although production improved slightly compared to February, it has now declined in seven of the past 12 months. High input costs and tight liquidity remain major obstacles, and concerns about future demand have deterred firms from ramping up output.

New industrial orders fell again, albeit at a slower rate than in previous months. Rising inflation and a general erosion of real incomes have dampened demand for manufactured goods. Export orders, too, have been declining for five consecutive months, reaching their lowest point since October 2023.

Prices of industrial products remained high in March, driven by soaring energy and input costs. Analysts expect further price hikes in the coming months as manufacturers attempt to pass on their rising expenses to consumers. “Iran’s Economy”

Final product inventories in the industrial sector also dropped in March, marking the 11th consecutive month of decline. With input prices surging and market demand weakening, many firms have been reluctant to produce for stock and have instead drawn down existing inventories to meet current orders. “Iran’s Economy”

Overall, the data paints a grim picture for the Iranian economy as it enters the new fiscal year. Persistent inflation, foreign exchange instability, limited access to financing, and reduced consumer demand have converged to push businesses into a prolonged state of caution and contraction.

The traditionally high-spending month of Esfand failed to break this trend, and unless structural issues such as input cost inflation and currency volatility are addressed, a broad-based recovery remains elusive.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) The GDP at base prices for the period amounted to 40,360.2 trillion rials ($51.58 billion) including oil revenues, suggesting a 29% growth in Iranian economy.

With oil revenues excluded, the country’s GDP stood at 37,034.1 trillion rials ($47.33 billion), indicating a 2.4% year-on-year growth.

The positive economic growth sustained through the first and second quarters of the fiscal year follows consistent growth throughout all quarters of the preceding year, signaling a continued recovery in economic activity across the country.

A Sunday report by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) indicated that Iran’s annual inflation rate for the calendar month to late December dropped to 32.5%, marking a 0.6 percentage point decline compared to the previous month.

According to the report, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for households reached 285.1 in the month under review, reflecting a 2% rise compared to the previous month and a 31.4% increase year-on-year.

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Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday after the US takes action to restore Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers through lifting sanctions, Tehran will want to negotiate on the damages it has suffered.

“When we meet, we will raise compensation,” Zarif told the Iranian state-owned news network PressTV in an hour-long interview.

“Whether those compensations will take the form of reparation, or whether they take the form of investment, or whether they take the form of measures to prevent a repeat of what Trump did,” he said about former US President Donald Trump.

Trump unilaterally abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018 and imposed harsh, comprehensive sanctions that targeted all the sectors of Iran’s economy.

According to Zarif, Trump reimposed 800 sanctions that were put on Iran before the nuclear deal and imposed 800 new ones, all of which need to be lifted before the US can return to the deal.

The diplomat said from other signatories of the nuclear deal, China and Russia have been Iran’s “friends” during the sanctions era, evidence for which are dozens of sanctions imposed on their individuals and entities.

But Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, the European signatories of the deal together known as the E3, have engaged in no tangible efforts to maintain their ties with Iran, Zarif said.

“The situation Europe has created for itself is that it has to wait for the US to make a decision. It lives at the behest and mercy of the US,” he said.

“Now, they should convince the US to come back [to the nuclear deal] at least to allow them … to maintain their dignity and allow them to fulfill their obligations. That’s not a tall order.”

Iran’s foreign minister said if the US fails to lift sanctions, Iran will continue to boost its nuclear programme as per the law but will have no need to leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the nuclear deal is formally known.

One year after Trump imposed sanctions, Iran gradually scaled back its commitments under the deal.

But after top Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in November, the conservative parliament passed legislation that obligated the government to start 20 percent uranium enrichment and increase the country’s stockpile.

“This is not a threat. We are simply exercising the remedial measures foreseen in the JCPOA,” he said, adding Iran is only after normalising economic relations with the world and does not want to engage in “nuclear extortion” as former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed.

Instead, Zarif said, the US is engaging in extortion as it is still preventing Iran from buying food, medicine, and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foreign minister also said the US is still blocking Iran’s request for a $5bn loan from the International Monetary Fund to fight the pandemic and is still preventing other countries such as South Korea from paying back billions of dollars’ worth of Iran’s money.

Joe Biden’s administration, he said, is continuing the “maximum pressure” campaign of Trump despite promising to restore the JCPOA.

However, Zarif said Iran will not need to abandon the nuclear deal.

“We got what we wanted out of the JCPOA. End of [United Nations] Security Council resolutions. End of US lies about our nuclear programme,” he said, adding Iran is the only country in the world to have its right to enrich uranium recognised by a UN Security Council resolution.

He also said Iran is now much less dependent on oil, so it can continue if the US fails to come back to the accord.

As part of the law passed by Parliament in December, the government of President Hassan Rouhani must end snap inspections of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by Sunday since US sanctions have not been lifted.

However, since IAEA General-Director Rafael Grossi offered to visit Tehran to discuss the move, Iran postponed implementation to Tuesday.

Grossi met with Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Zarif on Sunday, but no details on the talks were released.

In his interview, however, Zarif said the decision to cut off the cameras installed by the IAEA in Iran’s nuclear sites is a technical one that will not be made by him.

“We will be required by law not to provide the tapes of those cameras to the IAEA,” the foreign minister added.

Grossi will hold a news conference in Vienna later on Sunday after leaving Tehran.

On Sunday, 226 members of Iran’s parliament signed a statement that emphasized Iran must stop voluntarily implementing the Additional Protocol, which provides broad inspection authority to the IAEA, starting on Tuesday.

Zarif conducted his interview with PressTV’s Marzieh Hashemi, an Iranian American journalist whose arrest and week-long detention in the US by the FBI sparked another diplomatic spat and increased tensions between the two countries.

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Sworn in on Wednesday, the new U.S. president, Joe Biden, has already reversed some of his predecessor’s most controversial policies on immigration, climate, and health. He’s also promised to re-engage with the Islamic Republic and picked some of the architects of the original pact for top policy posts.

Even if sanctions are eventually eased again, Iran’s road to recovery could be even more fraught this time around. Below are five charts that show how the Iranian economy changed during the Trump years:

Iran’s economy contracted sharply during the Trump years. Unable to export most of its oil due to the new sanctions, its government turned to other exports instead, making a big push to develop domestic manufacturing and expand trade with immediate neighbors. That helped offset some of the impacts. It also meant that by the time Covid-19 hit global oil demand last year, Iran was better primed to absorb the shock than fellow crude exporters.

The Iranian rial has lost 80 percent of its value against the dollar over the course of Trump’s presidency.

The biggest casualty of Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy was the Iranian rial, which lost about 80% of its value against the dollar, fueling inflation, devastating purchasing power, and pushing millions of families into poverty. Efforts to stabilize the currency by controlling the rate and prosecuting money changers backfired, weakening the rial further as the black market thrived.

Iranian equities surged as the rial weakened and options-starved investors looked for affordable bets.

As the rial lost value, stocks saw unprecedented gains. The main index on the Tehran Stock Exchange has risen more than 600% since January 2019 as record numbers of new investors sought to shield their savings from inflation. The market has already begun to lose value since Biden’s election on expectations that sanctions will ease and the rial will strengthen again.

Iran-EU Trade

The European Union was Iran’s biggest trade partner before the bloc imposed oil sanctions in 2012 over the country’s nuclear program. Since then, China has become Iran’s top destination for energy exports and the biggest source of imports. It has been the lone customer for Iranian crude since Trump’s sanctions came into force in 2018. While Europe’s tried to keep the nuclear deal alive, it struggled to maintain economic ties in the face of U.S. penalties.

Iran’s Oil Export

In May 2019, the Trump administration suspended sanctions waivers that had enabled Iran to keep selling oil to a select number of countries. That sent crude exports plunging to 290,000 barrels a day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, from about 2.6 million in January 2017, when Trump entered office. Iran has demanded the U.S. lift sanctions on its oil and banking industries as soon as possible and is preparing to increase production.

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TEHRAN (IP)- The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance says “We must seek to create security for investment and the private sector in the implementation of communicative policies and laws of the parliament.”

IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

Farhad Dejpsand in the open session of Majlis and responding lawmaker’s questions said: “Iran’s economy is facing a fundamental and structural challenge regarding the bulky structure of the government.”

According to him, the size of the government, as it prevents the proper and optimal allocation of resources, will have direct and rapid effects on the efficiency of the economy.

Dejpsand continued: “Since the 1980s, the late Imam Khomeini (RH) emphasized on handing over affairs to the people, and since 1984, with the announcement of the policies of Article 44 of the Constitution by the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, these emphases have increased day by day.”

He reminded: “The Leader of the Revolution, after five years of this communiqué, re-emphasized it because this is one of the basic priorities of the system.”

The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance emphasized: “Privatization is a serious approach, privatization is not to finance the government but to improve the relationship between the government and the market in the economy and is an inevitable necessity.”

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“The real US, which, along with its economic and military strength, is embroiled in deep social divisions and structural discrimination, is a long way from a dramatic US. The real picture of US showed the declining trend of this country in front of the eyes of the world’s oppressed,” he added.

“As my dear brother Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said a few days ago, we are happy with the defeat of the killer of Lt. General Soleimani and Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis,” Ghalibaf noted.

He highlighted, “We blame the corrupt regime in the United States for their misdeeds, and they must withdraw their forces from the region.”

“Iranian Parliament Speaker said that Iranian people’s livelihoods should not be tied to the victory or defeat of anyone in the White House, US”

“Although we are happy with the defeat of the gambler Trump, we deeply believe that people’s lives and livelihoods should not depend on the victory or defeat of anyone in the White House,” the Parliament Speaker said.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – In its latest report, International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wedesday announced that Iran’s economy will grow by 3.2 percent in 2021.

The latest report of the International Monetary Fund on the state of world economy and its future outlook, which was recently published, estimates that Iran’s economic growth in 2021 will hit 3.2 percent. This estimate shows that Iran’s economy has improved 0.1 percent as compared to the Fund’s previous estimate of Iran’s economic growth outlook for next year.

According to IMF, next year’s inflation rate in Iran will reach 30%, which shows a 3% decrease as compared to the Fund’s previous estimate for next year.

IMF also pointed to the unemployment rate in Iran and added, the unemployment rate in Iran, which is predicted at 12.2 percent for this year, has been estimated at 12.4 percent in the next year.

The international body estimates that the world economy will end the current year with a negative growth of 4.4 percent, which is an improvement of about 0.8 percent as compared to its previous report and estimate.

This improvement is due to increased hopes for the recovery of developed economies after the coronavirus global pandemic as well as alleviation of restrictions due to the implementation of health protocols such as social distancing and closure of businesses.

In its another report, the International Monetary Fund estimates that world economic growth will reach 5.2 percent in 2021, indicating a recovery in the global economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

This year, the economies of European countries will also experience negative growth; France and the United Kingdom will face negative growth of 9.8 percent, Italy will experience a negative 10.6 percent growth while Spain’s economy will shrink 12.8 percent.

India will record negative growth of 10.3 percent this year, according to the report.

Among the world’s economies, only China will grow positively this year, with economic growth estimated at 1.9 percent.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Head of Iran’s National Petrochemical Company (NPC) in a press conference yesterday said that Iran’s petrochemical production capacity will be increased to 130m tons by 2025 and the revenues of this industry will hit $34b.

Speaking in a press conference, Mr. Behzad Mohammadi said that the outbreak of the Coronavirus has led to drastic changes in the economies worldwide, adding that according to the IMF report, global economy will shrink by 3 percent and Iran’s economy is not an exception, either.

He said in Iran, petrochemical products play key role in earning forex for the country and it is actually the number one source of forex earning for the country.

Mohammadi further said that last year the price of petrochemical products dropped and the products of the upstream chain suffered the most and for this reason, the company should move towards completing and developing the chain of production.

He said the oil ministry’s efforts are to have comprehensive, smart and wise development in the petrochemical industry. He further said the country has good output in exports of petrochemical products.

On the condition and performance of the petrochemical industry last year, Mohammadi said that the industry received 35m tons of feedstock which equaled to 800,000 barrels of oil crude and due to the rise in the number of projects in next year, the amount of oil and gas consumption will reach 1.5m barrels of crude.

He further said that the country is currently producing 339 polymeric and 42 chemical products and out of 66m tons of production capacity, only 31m tons of saleable products are produced and 23m tons of it is exported and 8m tons are used domestically.

Mohammadi note that 23m tons of exported petrochemical products earned the country $10b and the industry earned some$5b through its domestic sales and the total revenue stood at $15.9b last year.

He said the petrochemical industry provides the downstream industries with 8m tons of products, adding that some 15,000 enterprises are active in this industry and 80,000 people are directly working in the industry and totally 980,000 people are involved in the industry.

He then pointed to the long and mid-term developmental plans in the petrochemical industry for achieving the second and third leaps, saying that those goals are carried out for operationalizing 27 projects and the production capacity will increase from 66m tons to 100m tons by March 2021 and the target set in the Six Development Plan will be materialized and the earning of the industry will jump from $15b to $25b.

Mohammadi reiterated that in the third leap till 2025, 27 projects will be added to the current ones and the production capacity will reach 130m tons and the revenues of the industry will touch $34b.

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