Overview: Iran Analysis Weekly Report Jan 03, 2016
04 Jan, 2016
Vistar Business Monitor
Iranian officials escalated rhetoric against “seditionists” as the registration period for parliamentary elections closed on December 25, initiating the review process for candidates’ qualifications. Iranian officials underscored the ongoing threat of sedition while commemorating the anniversary of the December 30, 2009 pro-government protests.
Senior Iranian officials warned audiences of both future and ongoing sedition during remarks commemorating the December 30, 2009 pro-government protests. The December 30 protests were organized against the Green Movement, which alleged election fraud in the presidential elections that year and sought government reforms.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a speech condemning U.S. policy in the Middle East during the 29th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran on December 29. Mr. Khamenei called the notion that the U.S. holds a pro-Sunni and anti-Shia stance a “lie” and asserted that the U.S. is opposed to all Muslims and Islam itself. When U.S. officials began differentiating rhetorically between Sunnis and Shias, Khamenei maintained, it became “clear” that they were pursuing “a new and more dangerous plot than before” by seeking to sow discord among Muslims.
President Hassan Rouhani called for the expansion of Iran’s missile program in response to reports of additional U.S. sanctions.
On the nuclear front, Iran confirmed that it passed a major milestone in the nuclear agreement’s implementation by shipping parts of its low-enriched uranium stockpile to Russia. The shipment contained roughly 25,000 pounds of nuclear material that experts say would leave Iran without enough fuel to manufacture a nuclear weapon.
On the economic note, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration announced that the value of the country’s non-oil exports during the 9-month period stood at $32.031 billion. According to the report, Iran’s balance of trade reached $1.864 billion, meaning that the value of the country’s exports was $1.8bln more than the value of its imports. During the nine months, the Islamic Republic imported $30.167bln worth of goods.
The Producer Price Index in the 12-month period ending December 21, which marks the end of the Iranian month of Azar, increased 7% compared with last year’s corresponding period, according to the latest report of the Central Bank of Iran. The index registered a year-on-year increase of 3.4% compared with that of the similar month of last year. It has also recorded 0.1 percent increase companies to the previous month.
The Iranian Minister of oil announced this week that the price of crude is set at $35 per barrel in the upcoming year’s budget bill and the country’s oil revenue is estimated at $22 billion for this period. Moreover, the government’s tax revenue is also predicted to reach IRR 850,000 billion next year.
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