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| Official Name | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Land Area | 1,648,000 sq km |
| Population | 74 million (2009 EIU estimates) |
| Capital City | Tehran |
| Religion | Shi’a Muslim (95%), Sunni Muslim (4%), Zoroastrian/Jewish /Christian/Baha’i (1%) |
| Language | Persian (Farsi) and Persian dialects (58%), Turkic dialects (26%), Kurdish (9%), Lori (2%), Baluchi (1%), Arabic (1%), Turkish (1%) |
| Currency | 1 Touman = 10 Iranian Riyals (IR) |
| Exchange Rate | US$1 = IRR9,978 (May 2010)
NZ$1 = IRR6,739 (May 2010) |
| Political system | Presidential and parliamentary Islamic republic |
| National government | Iran has a dual power structure with a supreme religious leader (valih-e faqih or rahbar) and a president. Ayatollah Khamenei (supreme leader) directs the government under the Islamic constitution based on the late Ayatollah Khomeini’s theory of Islamic government. Policy is determined by the President and his appointed Ministers who collectively make up the Cabinet. |
| National legislature | Majlis-e-Shuray-e Islami (Islamic Consultative Assembly) of 290 members. All candidates for the Majlis must be recommended by recognised political groups and approved by an Islamic screening committee. All Majlis legislation must be approved by the 12-member Council of Guardians (senior jurists who make up the upper chamber), six of whom are appointed by the rahbar (supreme leader) and six by the Majlis The Expediency Council mediates between the Majlis and the Guardian Council. |
| Last election | April 2008 (parliamentary runoffs), June 2009 (presidential) |
| Next election due | 2012 (legislative), 2013 (presidential) |
| Supreme Leader(rahbar) | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, elected by Council of Guardians (senior jurists) in June 1989 |
Head of State and Government |
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, elected by universal suffrage in June 2005. The President is limited to holding two consecutive four-year terms, following the amendment to the constitution in 1989. |
| Main political parties | Political parties are technically illegal in Iran. The conservative bloc/faction holds an outright majority in the Majlis The loosely titled “Green Movement”, the informal leadership of which includes Mir Hossein Mousavi, represents reformist interests. |
| GDP | US$335.7 billion (2009 EIU estimate) |
| Real GDP growth | 1.5% (2009 EIU estimate) |
| Exports | US$70.16 billion (2009 EIU estimate) |
| Imports | US$57.16 billion (2009 EIU estimate) |
| Current account balance | US$7,931 billion (2009 EIU estimate) |
| Inflation | 16.8% (2009 EIU estimate) |
| NZ Exports (FOB) | NZ$212 million (for the year to December 2009) |
| Main Exports | Butter, milk powder, machinery, wool, frozen fish |
| NZ Imports (CIF) | NZ$105 million (for the year to December 2009) |
| Main Imports | Refined petroleum oils, dates and figs |
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected in June 2009 gaining around two-thirds of the vote according to the official election results. Widespread protests at the outcome by supporters of the leading opposition candidate prompted a strong response from the Iranian authorities. Iran’s supervisory Guardian Council confirmed President Ahmadinejad’s win following a limited recount of votes. The Council conceded there had been some voting irregularities but that these were insufficient to have affected the overall result. Reformist factions increased their representation in the March 2008 parliamentary election, albeit from a low base.
Iran holds some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves, and the economy is heavily dependent on the hydrocarbon sector. Oil accounts for some 80 percent of Iran’s foreign exchange earnings and is the major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The declining price of oil in 2009 impacted negatively on Iranian foreign currency earnings and domestic economic performance. Inflation reached almost 17 percent in 2009.
In January 2010 the Majlis approved President Ahmadinejad’s plan to phase out state subsidies on consumer goods (meat, bread, sugar, cooking oil, water) and energy (petrol, diesel, gas, electricity) over the next five years. Prices on these goods have been subsidised since the 1979 Revolution. As part of the subsidies plan, the government announced it would compensate people for the higher prices by providing cash payments to those most affected by the subsidies removal. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) have estimated Iran’s GDP growth for 2009-2010 at around 1.5% and 0.5% respectively.
The New Zealand Embassy in Tehran opened in April 1975, New Zealand’s first in the Middle East. Since that time the bilateral relationship has been based primarily on the commodities trade between the two countries. Economically, Iran is currently New Zealand’s fourth largest export market in the region.
In the year to December 2009 New Zealand exports to Iran earned NZ$212million, with butter, milk powder, machinery, wool, and frozen fish being the major export commodities. Imports in the same period amounted to NZ$105 million and consisted mainly of petroleum products and dates and figs. Iran is considered a market of potential for a range of New Zealand products and services, including education, geothermal expertise, CNG technology, seismic protection, agricultural technology and primary commodities.
The political and economic relationship is overseen through the New Zealand/Iran Political and Economic Cooperation Commission (PECC). The PECC offers an official framework for dealing with trade access issues as well as the opportunity for a political dialogue over human rights, the nuclear issue and regional security. The most recent PECC meeting was held in late October 2009 in Tehran, with the New Zealand delegation led by a Deputy Secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
New Zealand, along with many other members of the international community, expressed concern at the post-election violence which took place in Iran in 2009. New Zealand also made an intervention at Iran’s Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights which took place in Geneva in February 2010. In this intervention, New Zealand called on Iran to honour its international human rights commitments, noted concern at the death penalty for minors and the punishment of stoning under Sharia law, called for a visit by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and requested Iran to ensure the trial of the Baha’i Yarran be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, consistent with Iranian law, natural justice and legal due process.
Over recent years, Iran’s nuclear programme has been the subject of a number of resolutions both by the United Nations Security Council and by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors. New Zealand has supported the three rounds of the United NationsSecurity Council resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear programme. These resolutions are implemented through the United Nations Sanctions (Iran) Regulations 2007. The sanctions freeze funds, other financial assets and economic resources owned or controlled by the individuals and entities designated under the resolutions. New Zealand companies considering commercial dealings in Iran should familiarise themselves with the United Nations Security Council mandated resolutions.
New Zealand is represented in Iran by:
Iran is represented in New Zealand by:
The current New Zealand Ambassador to Iran is Brian Sanders, who presented credentials to President Ahmadinejad in September 2009. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise covers Iran from Dubai. Iran established an Embassy in Wellington in the mid 1980s. The current Ambassador of Iran in New Zealand is HE Mr Seyed Majid Tafreshi Khameneh, who presented his credentials in December 2010.
The Safetravel website [external link] provides a travel advisory for travellers to Iran.
Enquiries may be directed to Consular Division at the following numbers: telephone: +64 4 439 8000; fax: +64 4 439 8532.
