Khamenei Criticizes 'Misinterpretations' of His Economic Remarks

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, criticized some 'misinterpretations' of his recent comments regarding economic matters, specifically imports to Iran. He clarified that 'the prohibition on imports does not apply to goods that are sufficiently produced domestically or whose imports can serve as a model for domestic production.' On Tuesday, April 21, during a meeting with several government officials, Khamenei stated, 'Imports that shut down domestic factories and production must be stopped.' The Supreme Leader did not specify which individuals or groups had 'misinterpreted' his previous remarks on this issue. On the first of Farvardin this year, during a speech in Mashhad, Khamenei criticized the economic situation in Iran, stating that 'the import of goods that are sufficiently produced domestically should be recognized as religiously and legally forbidden.' He also described the 'import of consumer goods that are produced domestically, such as food, clothing, household items, and stationery' as 'a source of shame in front of domestic producers and foreign sellers of these goods.' Following these remarks, five economic figures close to the conservatives, such as Alireza Zakani, Parviz Davoudi, and Hossein Samasami, wrote an open letter to the President and the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, calling for 'the conversion of the Supreme Leader's fatwa regarding the prohibition of importing domestically produced goods into a legal and enforceable ban.' On April 20, 45 members of parliament also urged Bijan Zangeneh, the Minister of Oil, to 'prevent the excessive import of seamless pipes,' describing this action as 'religiously forbidden.' In recent years, the Supreme Leader has repeatedly criticized the import process in Iran. Last year, Khamenei notably criticized the import of 'American cars,' stating that 'even Americans do not drive American cars.'