Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Why inflation haunts Iran

With a month-on-month increase of 3.3% and an annual rate of 37.1%, inflation reflects the struggles of millions of Iranians.

U.S. Sanctions Should Target Tehran’s Top Economic Operatives 

The Department of the Treasury’s sanctioning of Iranian Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad marks a U.S. return to the “maximum pressure” tactic of targeting top Iranian economic officials. At the...

Iran, Russia Link Banking Systems in Effort to Bypass Western Sanctions

Russia and Iran Connect Banking System: Iran and Russia have begun linking their banking systems to allow Iranians to use their bank cards in Russia — an apparent effort to blunt the impact of Western sanctions on both countries.

Hezbollah’s Unit 4400

On October 1, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the killing of Mohammad Jaafar Qasir, a high-value Hezbollah operative who commanded the group’s Unit 4400—the body responsible for transporting...

Why the Biden Administration’s Iran Sanctions Waivers Are Futile

The Islamic Republic also has a history of diverting resources intended for humanitarian purposes.

U.S. Presidential Elections Loom Over the Iranian Rial

Tehran’s inflation troubles present a critical vulnerability for the clerical regime.

Iranian Rial’s Depreciation Persists Into Persian New Year

The Iranian rial struck a record low on March 24, trading at about 613,000 to the U.S. dollar in the unregulated market. Since January, the dollar has appreciated about 21 percent...

U.S. Should Sanction Tehran’s Central Banker and His Lieutenants

The United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned a Central Bank of Iran (CBI) network on February 14 for smuggling sensitive American technology to Iran. The designation once again emphasizes CBI’s...

CBI Revoking Bank Melli’s License Is Unlikely to Curb Iran’s Sanction Evasion in Iraq

The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) revoked Bank Melli of Iran’s operating license on February 8, following increased U.S. pressure to untangle Iraq’s financial system from Iranian money laundering and...

Biden’s Imaginary Iran

Tehran’s hostility is clear, so why does the White House keep ignoring it?

How to Curb Tehran’s Oil Exports

Unhindered oil revenues flowing to Tehran will harm U.S. interests.

Moving the Money

Understanding the Iranian Regime's Access to Money Around the World and How They Use It to Support Terrorism

How America and Its Allies Can Stop Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran from Evading Sanctions and Financing Terror

Biden enriched Iran by more than $50 billion. Here’s how to turn off the spigot

The folly of Team Biden's relentless Iran appeasement has been revealed by the Hamas attacks. It's clear that an anti-Hamas, pro-Iran policy cannot coexist.

A Dangerous Strategy: Examining the Biden Administration’s Failures on Iran

In Major Reversal, U.S. Lifts Restraints on Iranian Income From Electricity Sales

The Biden administration this week reportedly issued a national security waiver allowing Iraq to pay for the import of Iranian electricity by depositing cash in Iranian bank accounts throughout the...

Iraq to Pay Iran with Oil for Billions of Dollars in Debt

Iraq announced this week it would repay billions of dollars in natural gas debts owed to Iran using Iraqi oil instead of cash — a move that would likely violate U.S. sanctions absent authorization...

How Congress Should Respond to an Interim Iran Deal

A Perilous Equation: Khamenei’s Nuclear Ambitions and Washington’s Inaction

Washington acknowledges that there is no simple way to return to the original nuclear deal with Iran, yet the lack of a viable alternative leaves the Biden administration seemingly rudderless.

The Road to Israel-Saudi Normalization Runs Through Washington

Open ties between the two nations are in everyone’s interest, but it will take serious intent and deft maneuvering from America to get there. Is the administration up to it?