Iran Economic News Headlines - February 26

1. President Hassan Rouhani: The US unilateral sanctions against Tehran have helped Iran, as the pressures push the nation to work harder and replicate embargoed products and items. (Fars News Agency)
2. Mohammad Reza Modoudi, caretaker of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran: US sanctions have targeted ordinary Iranians, despite Washington's claims. (Fars News Agency)
3. Iran Air Managing Director Farzaneh Sharafbafi: Despite the [US] economic warfare against Iran, the flag carrier is operating flights to European destinations uninterrupted. (IRNA)
4. President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Gholamhossein Shafei: Outdated technology and machinery are to blame for subpar production in Iran. (Mehr News Agency)
5. Deputy Roads Minister Kheirollah Khademi: A civil engineering masterpiece, Qazvin-Rasht Railroad will be inaugurated soon. (News.mrud.ir)
6. UK Ambassador to Iran Robert Macaire: INSTEX SAS (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges) trading system will remove European companies’ doubts about cooperation with Iran. (Financial Tribune)
7. Mahmoud Bahmani, a member of Majlis Economic Commission: Supply and demand are the only solution to corruption- and rent-free market. (ILNA)
8. Amir Ali Fahimi, lecturer at Amirkabir University of Technology: The lifespan of buildings in Iran is one-third of those in advanced countries. (Fars News Agency)
9. Deputy Oil Minister Houshang Falahatian: Considering the domestic annual gasoline consumption growth of 7%, Iran risks losing its exporting status to become an importer in two years. (IRNA)
10. Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Reza Rahmani: Measures taken [by the government] to regulate the consumer market in the runup to Iranian New Year’s holidays [starting March 21] will yield positive results in the next two weeks. (IRNA)
11. Economist Hossein Raghfar: The allocation of cheap foreign currency to wrong people has failed to result in the import of essential goods, which explains the current shortages in the domestic market. (ILNA)
12. Tarahom Behzad, an official with Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization: Soil erosion destroys up to 400,000 hectares of Iran's farms every year. (IRNA)
13. Director General of the Agriculture Ministry's Flower and Ornamental Plants Affairs Department Gholamreza Taqavi: Iran’s per capita flower consumption currently amounts to 18 stems per year, while the figure stands at an average of 230 in some developed European countries. (IRNA)
14. Farbod Zaveh, an auto industry expert: The fundamental problem in Iran's auto market is that it is strictly controlled by the government. (News portal of Iran Chamber of Commerce)
15. Majed Moazzen, the head of Basra Chamber of Commerce: We urge the involvement of Iranian engineering companies in the reconstruction of Iraq, but they should offer quality services. (IRNA)