By AIC Research Associate Nika Mobed

MYTH: Iran is an ostracized nation whose economy and diplomatic relations have little direct impact on the lives of people living in the United States.

FACT: Strained relations with Iran do impact the lives of everyday Americans by virtue of lost business opportunities, increased oil prices, and diminished economic and geopolitical power. Increased engagement with Iran could unlock a surprisingly wide range of economic opportunities for people in the West.

By AIC Research Associate Tristan Gutbezahl

MYTH: Iran’s technology sector is primarily focused on military capabilities, especially drones, ballistic missiles, cyber weapons, and nuclear warheads.

FACT: Iran has a thriving civilian technology sector that has made considerable progress in the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence. The country is also home to a dynamic startup ecosystem.

By: Research Associate Tony Liu

MYTH: Especially since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran is only a place people seek to flee, and is not seen by refugees or migrants from other countries as a viable destination.

FACT: Iran has indeed been a significant source country for refugees. However, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Iran is also “host to one of the largest and most protracted urban refugee situations in the world and has provided asylum to refugees for over four decades.” More than three million refugees and other migrants, overwhelmingly from neighboring Afghanistan, currently live in the country.

By: Research Fellow Andrew Lumsden

MYTH: Especially since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran is only a place people seek to flee, and is not seen by refugees or migrants from other countries as a viable destination.

FACT: Iran has indeed been a significant source country for refugees. However, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Iran is also “host to one of the largest and most protracted urban refugee situations in the world and has provided asylum to refugees for over four decades.” More than three million refugees and other migrants, overwhelmingly from neighboring Afghanistan, currently live in the country.

By: Research Associate Allyson Socha and Communications Associate Cynthia Markarian

MYTH: Women and girls in Iran are treated as second class citizens, barred from everyday activities like driving and serious professional positions. They are effectively restricted from making genuine contributions to Iranian society.
FACT: While institutionalized restrictions against women are an evident and detrimental factor in daily life, Iranian women do not experience many of the invasive restraints on daily life that women in some Arab countries do. Women have contributed to Iranian politics, academia, and professional domains. Moreover, Iranian women have been fighting for their rights since the Islamic revolution and have achieved significant improvements in their daily lives over time.

By Research Associate Allyson Socha

MYTH: Beliefs ingrained in Iranian culture manifest in an ultraconservative and aggressive government approach to homosexuality and non-binary gender identity. Government policies persecute both homosexuals and transgender individuals alike for their sexuality and gender identification, criminalizing same-sex relations and gender reassignment procedures.

FACT: Iran has maintained and pursued policies which condemn and harshly punish homosexuality, a practice widely, and appropriately, criticized as a human rights violation. However, this government persecution does not apply equally to transgender individuals; gender reassignment surgery is legal in Iran, and formal gender recognition is supported by the Iranian theocracy.

By Brooke Lowe, Research Associate

On May 19th, 2024, a helicopter crash resulted in the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and several other Iranian officials. Whilst the crash has been attributed to bad weather conditions, several other factors, such as outdated aircrafts and difficulty obtaining necessary airline parts due to sanctions, must be considered as potentially contributing to  the crash.  The aircraft that carried Raisi was outdated and its model had not been in production since 1998. 

Between 1960 and 2024, there have been 217 plane crashes in Iran. According to the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, plane crashes in Iran have killed more than 2,000 people between the years 1979 and 2023. A significant number of crashes involved older aircraft, particularly those from the Russian fleet. Sanctions and difficulties in procuring spare parts have contributed to maintenance challenges and affected safety, which will be discussed below in this Industry Spotlight.

By Brooke Lowe, Research Associate

When AIC last reported on the oil and gas industry in Iran in 2019, the situation in Iran looked much different from how it is today. This industry spotlight will evaluate how the oil and gas sector has changed in recent years, following the shift of leaders and changing political and social landscape in Iran.

By Allyson Socha, Research Associate

When international travel restrictions were lifted following worldwide Covid-19 lockdowns, airlines celebrated the opportunity for financial recovery. In Iran, however, pandemic-era restrictions were not the sole, nor even the prime, factor hindering the airline industry. Since 1979 the Iranian civilian aviation industry has struggled with grounded planes, safety concerns, and other operational restrictions as a result of sanctions.

By Tony Liu, Research Associate

The Iranian defense industry is quite unique, having been shaped by a history of ostracization from the international community, wide-ranging sanctions on the import and export of weapons, and a strategic need to counter military behemoths such as the United States, Israel, and the Arab states. These factors have led to the formation of a defense industry in Iran that is stunningly obsolete in many respects, but is still able to execute many of Iran’s strategic objectives. Still, despite the government’s boastful rhetoric towards its military capabilities, many of the actual details surrounding the modernity and effectiveness of Iranian armaments remain unclear.

This AIC Industry Spotlight therefore seeks to examine the importance of the defense industry to the Iranian economy and provide details on Iranian arms manufacturing, weapons capability, and the future potential of Iranian arms imports and exports in light of sanctions relief.

By Dorna Maryam Movasseghi, Research Fellow

"The bazaar and the mosque are the two lungs of public life in Iran."

Mottahedeh’s judicious metaphor aptly captures the vital essence of one of Iran's oldest and most expansive life forces -- the bazaar. Much like the lungs, bazaars have been responsible for oxygenating more than just the social spheres of Iran; these microcosmic cities have also been fundamental in shaping the economic and political trajectories of the country for millennia.

A siege upon the senses, bazaars are a cornucopia of the most delectable sights, smells, textures, and sounds that trace back to 3000 B.C. in ancient Iranian towns and cities. Now, under a maze of arches and narrow corridors, bazaars and their merchants, bazaaris, continue to trade goods, currency, news, and gossip.

By Lauren Elmore, Research Associate

Iran’s healthcare system, along with the general health of the nation, has developed considerably during the last few decades. Overall, life expectancy in Iran has increased at an annual rate of 0.85% (average life expectancy in 2000 was 69.91 years; average life expectancy in 2021 is 76.94 years). Though economic strife, a result of sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, has hampered progress, medical technologies, including vaccines and medicines, along with a novel home health care system, have made the healthcare industry within Iran a growing bright spot of both innovation and economic success.

Progress and Development

Iran’s healthcare system has developed into an affordable, versatile, and innovative industry, rendering it attractive to citizens of many countries.