Mr Heidari used the occasion to highlight a persistent flaw in Iran’s foreign policy: the lack of coordination between its political and economic arms. “Globally, economic issues are the foundation of political diplomacy,” he said, arguing that Iran must better integrate its economic strategy into its diplomatic efforts.
Iran’s investment-to-GDP ratio has remained largely unchanged since the early 1990s, Mr Heidari noted, suggesting that economic growth is tightly linked to capital formation. “For every increase in investment, there is a proportional rise in GDP,” he said.
The new platform will aggregate investment opportunities across sectors and help facilitate financing for priority projects. Mr Heidari also announced that foreign currency inflows for investment have been approved for Iran’s secondary exchange market, pending formal notification.