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Does Iran’s 'resistance economy' welcome foreign money?

In Iran, the hard-line take on the “resistance economy” has led to misunderstandings about the concept, with pro-government economists emphasizing the need for consensus on how to develop the economy.
A money changer poses for the camera with a U.S  hundred dollar bill (R) and the amount being given when converting it into Iranian rials (L), at a currency exchange shop in Tehran's business district, Iran, January 20, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA  ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX238AV

TEHRAN, Iran — A small protest was held April 13 in front of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance building in the Iranian capital of Tehran, during which demonstrators gathered to criticize President Hassan Rouhani’s administration for not respecting the economic guidelines known as the “resistance economy.”

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who introduced the general policies four years ago to thwart the effects of US-led sanctions, designated this Iranian calendar year the year of “Resistance Economy: Action and Implementation” — a slogan that has since been exploited by hard-liners to accuse Rouhani’s economic team of poor performance.

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