There is no doubt that corruption and mismanagement have been significant impediments to Iran’s economic development. Experts agree that during former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's two terms in office, these two issues were the main causes of economic decline and increased misery in the country. Though that administration came to power claiming that it would fight corruption and disclose the names of corrupt officials and businessmen, throughout its years, not only there was no disclosure from the government’s side, but the one lower-level official who spoke publicly about corruption inside the regime, Abbas Palizdar, was imprisoned.

There were numerous meetings between the heads of the three branches of government to coordinate efforts to fight corruption. Nonetheless, corrupt practices rose, partly in the name of circumventing sanctions. In the words of one Iranian expert, what used to be under-the-table corruption before Ahmadinejad became overt.

With the change in administration, Iran is now witnessing a new push to fight corruption. A few weeks ago, President Hassan Rouhani addressed the issue by instructing government offices to identify the business circles that enriched themselves in the name of circumventing sanctions. Almost concurrently, high-profile Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani was arrested and accused of corruption and embezzlement. That case is creating waves and pointing fingers toward other corrupt officials, and it remains to be seen whether the government will arrest and prosecute any former or current officials in that specific case.

Now it seems that Rouhani wants to go one step further. On March 8, during his speech at the closing ceremony of the Press Festival, the president called upon the Iranian media to become his “instrument of soft power” in the fight against corruption. He asked the Iranian press to “increase the cost of corruption to a level” at which no one would be tempted. He also suggested that the names of corrupt persons and officials not be kept secret by government officials, but disclosed via the media.