Iran's parliament is studying a proposed budget for the next fiscal year amid an extremely tight economy suffering under intense US sanctions. One important aspect of this proposal is Foreign Ministry funding, which has been under increased pressure from both proponents and opponents of President Hassan Rouhani’s administration.
Rouhani’s critics argue that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has been focused exclusively on repercussions of the US exit last year from the 2015 nuclear deal and subsequent sanctions on Iran, and has neglected other important aspects of foreign affairs.
