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| Mehdi Neimi |
In an interview with Voice of America, economist Mehdi Neimi discussed the role of the president in Iran’s economic policies. He also evaluated the impact of economic promises made by presidential candidates on voters.
Mehdi Neimi states that economic leadership in Iran has never been entrusted to experts in the field. He also emphasizes that the president and his cabinet have little influence over economic policies.
“The president and the cabinet do not play a significant role in the economy because other institutions within Iran’s power structure hold greater influence over economic matters. The IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) is an economic powerhouse in Iran. It not only wields economic power but also has weapons, allowing it to impose its will. Recently, the IRGC has been identifying successful private companies in Iran and forcibly acquiring them. They pay for them, but the owners sell unwillingly,” Neimi explains.
According to him, “There are also economic institutions tied to the ‘Office of the Supreme Leader’ (Beyt-e Rahbar). These institutions hold vast financial assets despite having no official government role. They essentially function as a separate government. Key economic policies are not determined by the cabinet but by these entities. A single action from them can shake the foundations of Iran’s economy.”
Referring to the administrations of Hassan Rouhani and previous Iranian presidents, Neimi highlights that the economic promises made during elections have never been fulfilled:
“So far, presidential candidates have always campaigned with economic slogans. People are focused on how they will fill their stomachs. But they fail to realize that these candidates’ promises are unlikely to materialize—just as they haven’t in the past.”
He adds, “Even if an entirely competent president were elected and formed a strong cabinet, a single remark from a cleric could still impact the economy. If the government tries to adjust its economic policies, the IRGC might launch a missile, and everything turns upside down. And that’s assuming we even had a well-functioning cabinet—which we don’t.”
Mehdi Neimi believes that by now, most people no longer place hope in such promises.
“In the past, a candidate would claim they would provide a certain amount of subsidies, and it would become the talk of the town. Another would promise even more money and gain attention. But now, many people have lost hope,” he concludes.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Mehdi Nəimi: İranın iqtisadi siyasətlərində prezidentin böyük bir rolu yoxdur