Iran International
The former head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, recently sentenced to prison and fined, has dismissed the government's claims of free trade with Eurasia as empty rhetoric, pointing to the ongoing effects of sanctions.
Hossein Selahvarzi, in an interview with ILNA on Saturday, pointed out that “over the past two years, significant attention has been devoted to the notion of free trade with the Eurasian Union, which has frequently been used for political and promotional purposes. This has gone hand-in-hand with efforts to advocate for Iran’s membership in other international groups like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization”.
He emphasized that “none of these efforts have translated into concrete economic gains for Iran.” He attributed this lack of progress to the continuation of international sanctions and Iran’s failure to comply with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) requirements, which has kept the country on its blacklist.
As a result, Selahvarzi argued that agreements made with other nations are, in practice, unrealizable.
On Friday, Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, Deputy Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade, announced that Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are in the final stages of negotiating a free trade agreement. He expressed optimism that the agreement will “facilitate and increase the volume of trade exchanges,” potentially giving Iran a much-needed economic momentum.
Selahvarzi remains skeptical, noting that the current administration rose to power on a platform of slogans, including promises to lift sanctions and remove Iran from the FATF blacklist. Despite the government’s promotion of bilateral and multilateral agreements, Selahvarzi argues that as long as sanctions persist and Iran remains non-compliant with international financial regulations, these agreements will be largely ineffective.
The FATF, an international financial watchdog, has long pressed Iran to meet global standards for combating money laundering and terrorism financing. However, Iran's refusal to comply has kept it isolated from the global financial system. Hardline factions within Iran's power structure see FATF compliance as a threat, fearing it would hinder their ability to finance proxy groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, both central to Iran’s regional strategy.
Meanwhile, the chances of lifting sanctions through negotiations with the West seem increasingly unlikely, especially as regional tensions rise. Hardliners in the government continue to advocate for a more aggressive approach, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear program—a key factor behind the sanctions. On Saturday, MP Mohammad Manan Raeisi claimed Iran could develop nuclear weapons within six months, heightening tensions further. Just days earlier, 39 Iranian lawmakers called on the Supreme National Security Council to reassess the country’s defense doctrine, including the potential pursuit of nuclear weapons, as hostilities with Israel intensify.
Selahvarzi's longstanding criticism of the government's economic policies has consistently placed him at odds with the political establishment. His election as president of Iran's Chamber of Commerce in June last year was immediately met with pushback by hardliners and state media. Selahvarzi, known for his outspoken presence on social media, has often criticized government officials and their policies. The recent verdict against him appears to be largely based on his tweets, especially those supporting protesters and condemning authorities during the 2022 demonstrations.
One of his notable tweets reads, "Sometimes, the pain is so overwhelming that your entire being cries, except for your eyes," accompanied by hashtags referencing the teenage girls killed during the protests.
In 2022, EcoIran reported that the Tehran deputy prosecutor general issued an indictment against Selahvarzi, accusing him of insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. After nearly a year of conflict following his election, Selahvarzi was ultimately dismissed from his position as head of the Chamber of Commerce. In September 2023, Mizan News Agency, affiliated with Iran's judiciary, reported that the Tehran Court of Appeals sentenced him to six months in prison and imposed a fine for “spreading lies.”
During a live Iranian state TV broadcast, Masoud Asadollahi, a former deputy commander of the IRGC Quds Force, made remarks claiming that an Iranian company purchased pagers from a Taiwanese supplier on behalf of Hezbollah, which has since sparked controversy and denials.
“They (Hezbollah) already had thousands of pagers...but three to four thousand new pagers were needed. They asked an Iranian company to place the order. Hezbollah said they could not make the purchase as it would raise suspicions. The company negotiated with a famous Taiwanese brand that used to produce pagers and placed an order for 5,000 pagers. The pagers were delivered to the Iranian company. They were then given to Hezbollah,” said Asadollahi.
The devices later exploded in September, killing at least 42 Hezbollah-affiliated people and injuring over 3,000 in what has been described as Hezbollah's most significant security breach since its conflict with Israel escalated in October 2023.
Many questions were raised about how Israel had been able to rig the devices, while some Israeli reports said that the pager deal had been handled by a Mossad front company.
Asadollahi’s comments quickly went viral, fueling speculation across media outlets. However, just an hour after his remarks, the same state TV channel issued a denial.
Noor News, a website outlet closely affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, also posted a tweet on Saturday refuting Asadollahi’s claims.
"The incorrect statements made by an expert on IRIB have ignited new speculations surrounding the incident. Iranian companies had no role in the purchase, transport, or distribution of the pagers," the tweet stated.
Tasnim News Agency, another IRGC-affiliated Tehran website, published a report attempting to clarify the situation. It cited Hezbollah’s technical committee, which investigated the explosions and concluded that Israeli intelligence had infiltrated the supply chain through a shell company posing as the Taiwanese supplier. According to the report, no Iranian individuals or companies were found to be involved.
Reza Sadr Al-Hosseini, an expert on West Asian affairs, further downplayed Asadollahi’s remarks “The pagers were neither manufactured in Iran nor purchased by any Iranian companies, and no Iranian individuals were involved in the entire process," he said during an interview with the IRGC-linked Fars website. He also added that many of the pagers had not yet been distributed and that those affected by the explosions included ordinary citizens who had bought the devices from local markets.
The explosions, which targeted thousands of handheld pagers and walkie-talkies, were a coordinated attack linked to Israeli intelligence. Hezbollah’s switch to pagers in early 2024 followed concerns that Israel had compromised its cell phone network.
With both Iranian officials and media figures divided over the extent of Iran’s involvement, the situation remains fraught, particularly as tensions in the region continue to simmer.