Esfandyar BATMANGHELIDJ, founder of the economic think tank Bourse & Bazaar says the #IMF shouldn’t agree to Iran’s demand of a 5 billion dollar loan to fight the #coronavirus #pandemic in the country. He asks why Iran didn’t tap into its national sovereign wealth fund instead of its foreign ministry having a sanctions removal debate.
On the other hand, Behnam Ben Taleblu,senior fellow at FDD says that by requesting for for the 5 billion dollars loan, the Iranian government is not trying to have some sort of duplicitous approach to sanctions relief but is trying to get its hands on practical resources so that they can avoid the difficult trade off between the economic crisis and the public health crisis they are facing.
France is a republic and the largest Western European nation. Through expansion and colonisation in the 17th and 18th centuries France became a great power and still retains territories around the world. It has a seat on the UN security council and is the world’s fourth most wealthy country with a high standard of living and strong cultural identity.
Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.
Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.
The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.