Iran is facing its worst civil unrest in almost a decade, with at least 22 people killed in street demonstrations that began in a reaction to tough economic times.
Iranians were promised in 2015 that the easing of sanctions would make their lives easier, with oil revenue restored after years of embargo. But there has been no recovery. In fact, according to the BBC’s Persian service, the average Iranian is now 15% worse off than they were ten years ago.
So, where is the oil money going?
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Some protesters want Tehran to stop spending what they say is “vast amounts of money” on supporting the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas movement, Deutsche Welle reports.
In an interview with The Times of Israel, Israeli government minister Yuval Steinitz says that Iran spends $1bn (£740m) each year just on Hezbollah.
Left-wing Israeli newspaper Haaretz quotes unnamed “Western intelligence sources” who claim that hardliners want to “capitalise” on money spent during Syria’s civil war to “entrench [Iran’s] presence by building a permanent air base and docking facilities on the Mediterranean coast”.
This would cost “at least hundreds of millions, if not billions”, the newspaper says, money that factions close to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani want to reserve for “improving infrastructure and providing jobs at home”.
According to Haaretz, Iran’s state-owned banks set up credit lines totalling $4.6bn (£3.4bn) for the Syrian regime in 2013 and 2015. It has paid a monthly wage to around 50,000 militia fighters, and has supplied arms “daily”, and military “advisers”.
Estimates of Iran’s total funding for Hezbollah in Lebanon vary from $60m (£44m) to $1bn a year, the newspaper adds, while Israeli intelligence estimates Iranian backing to Islamic groups in Gaza adds up to some $100m (£74m) annually.
-
Why ‘anti-Islam’ bikers are guarding Gaza aid sitesIn The Spotlight Members of Infidels MC, who regard themselves as modern Crusaders, among private security guards at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites
-
China: Xi seeks to fill America’s voidFeature Trump’s tariffs are pushing nations eastward as Xi Jinping focuses on strengthening ties with global leaders
-
Rebrands: Bringing back the War DepartmentFeature Trump revives the Department of Defense’s former name
-
Has Israel’s Qatar strike scuppered a ceasefire?Today’s Big Question Netanyahu ‘gambles’ on ‘overwhelming strength’ rather than diplomacy in attack on Hamas negotiation team in Doha
-
Israel targets Hamas leaders in Qatar airstrikeSpeed Read Hamas said five low-level leaders were killed in the attack
-
'Axis of upheaval': will China summit cement new world order?Today's Big Question Xi calls on anti-US alliance to cooperate in new China-led global system – but fault lines remain
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky missionTalking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping missionSpeed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
The return of the Houthis: violence in the Red SeaIn the Spotlight The Houthis are back with their strongest attack yet
