By Research Associate Lauren Elmore

Iran, like most countries around the world, has experienced severe economic and social impacts due to SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Unlike other countries, however, Iran has been hit particularly hard as a result of (1) an especially strong early wave with limited government response, (2) general public distrust of government directives, and (3) existing economic difficulties, which further complicated the government’s ability to respond with effective health measures. These factors, in turn, have resulted in an increased level of social unrest across the country.

International aid for Iran during the pandemic has been mixed. Russia has been a strong partner for Iran and has continually provided it with medical equipment, vaccines, and research regarding the virus. China has also remained a key ally to Iran, predominantly providing economic support. However, Western relations have remained poor as a result of a deep-seated distrust among the countries. Aid during the pandemic was consistently blocked by both Iran and Western nations.

Given the continued spread of the virus in Iran, the ongoing difficulties between Iran and the West, and the broad lack of vaccines in the country at the time of this writing (June 2021), it is very likely that these difficult economic, health, and societal consequences of the pandemic will last well into 2022 and beyond.