Economy as an essential part of the present-day politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran (November–December 2019)

The article is aimed to look into the combination of economic and political means in the Iranian policy in response to the US President Trump sanctions in 2018–2019. The main thesis is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is in active search of new, more effi-cient and fruitful approaches to curb the deterioration of the national economy and solve foreign policy problems. This indicates the government’s serious modernizing efforts and its willingness to shift towards a more moderate Muslim state status. What was the level of influence of the worsening political and economic conditions on Iran’s preferences in domestic economy and foreign policy? What steps did the government take to respond to these challenges? To find answers, we analyzed Iranian theoretical approaches to the issues of relationships between Islam, politics and economy, eco-nomic situation, domestic economic and external political response to the arising chal-lenges. Possible outcomes for the Islamic Republic were outlined. A complex set of methods, including system-strategic, sociological, and economic ones, based on empir-ical approach, was used. Inclusion of the latest data and concepts, investigation of the views on religion, economy and politics trending in Iran define originality of the re-search. The main results demonstrate Iran’s considerable flexibility and resistibility, its constructive and pragmatic approaches both within and outside the country, indi-cate the shifts towards a more moderate type of Islam. Measures taken during the ex-amined period also ensured some positive shifts in the national economy even though after Trump’s administration the sanctions were not officially lifted.

Ҳали таржима қилинмаган