Structural issues cloud Khamenei's economic vision for Iran
To realize Iran's economic potential, the supreme leader and the government need to take steps to allow genuine private sector expansion.
It is now an established tradition that Iran’s supreme leader travels to Mashhad on the first day of the Iranian New Year, which fell on March 21 this year, to deliver his most important annual policy speech. This year’s speech was significant as it almost entirely dealt with economic conditions, an indication that the economy, especially unemployment, is a key concern of Iran’s top leadership.
When referring to the “enemy’s” desire to depict economic shortcomings as proof that the Islamic Republic is incapable of managing the country, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, acknowledged some internal deficiencies. He admitted, “Of course, there are some weaknesses, but these weaknesses are related to our management.”
