Iranian press review: 80m barrels behind oil minister’s resignation

Minister falls victim to oil brokers network Local media have linked Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad’s resignation on Sunday to growing tensions over the role of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) security figures in the national oil industry, as Iran faces difficulties selling its oil amid international sanctions and a US naval blockade. Local media had previously reported that a group of four oil brokers close to senior IRGC security officials had been tasked with selling 80 million barrels of Iranian oil at discounted prices. Officials denied the reports, while Paknejad’s resignation was attributed to personal reasons. But on Tuesday, the Saazandegi daily said pressure over the sale of the 80 million barrels was the main reason for his resignation. According to Saazandegi, tensions arose between Paknejad and President Masoud Pezeshkian during one of the last cabinet meetings the oil minister attended. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'During war, sanctions and blockade, who is going to sell Iran’s oil, and who will oversee the oil brokers?' - Saazandegi daily The daily said the "growing power of the oil sales intermediary network", "uncertainty over the collection of oil revenues placed in its hands", and "parliament and oversight bodies becoming involved in investigating the oil brokers' activities" were among the factors that forced Paknejad to resign. Saazandegi also addressed a question that has increasingly circulated in Iran over the past month: where is the money from the country’s oil sales? Describing the difficulties Iran faces in selling oil and bringing the proceeds back into the country, the daily said Paknejad’s resignation had created a new problem for the sector. “Now the question ‘Where is the oil money?’ has given way to a bigger question,” Saazandegi wrote. “During war, sanctions and blockade, who is going to sell Iran’s oil, and who will oversee the oil brokers?" Meanwhile, Abdolhossein Hemmati Saraparde, deputy head of parliament’s energy commission, told the economic daily Donya-e Eqtesad that parliament was investigating contracts to sell Iranian oil. He acknowledged that even the oil minister was unaware of the details of some contracts arranged to sell oil to China. “The investigation and reviews are under way, but it is not yet possible to identify a specific person as responsible or determine the extent of any violations,” Saraparde said. US exit from Iraq may hurt Iran in short term Nozar Shafiei, a Tehran University academic, has suggested that the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq could work against Iran’s interests as the war with the US continues. Iranian press review: Iranian elite profit billions from oil sanctions Read More » Shafiei, an international relations analyst, said the US withdrawal had been planned in advance, partly because of the costs of maintaining forces in Iraq and partly because of Iraqi opposition to their presence. But he argued that the departure of US forces would also remove them from the reach of Iran and Iran-aligned groups in Iraq. “The presence of these forces was an Achilles’ heel for the US in Iraq and imposed limitations on Washington in dealing with Iran,” Shafiei was quoted as saying by the Etemad newspaper. According to Shafiei, the withdrawal of US forces could therefore take them out of Iran’s reach in Iraq while also removing American troops from the battlefield. He concluded that while the withdrawal might benefit Iran in the long term, it could be damaging to it in the short term. Iranians look east as western migration routes become harder Iranians are increasingly looking to China and Russia as rising foreign-exchange costs and tighter immigration rules in western countries make traditional destinations harder to access, the Haft-e Sobh daily reported. China is becoming a growing destination for Iranian students and technical professionals, particularly those with experience working on Chinese projects in Iran. US sparks criticism after halting student visa appointments and extending ‘social media vetting’ Read More » Russia is also attracting Iranians, including businesspeople, through its foreign investment programmes. Both countries are offering alternatives as access to western destinations becomes more difficult for Iranian applicants. The shift is also affecting Iranian students, who in previous years were among the largest groups applying to universities in western countries but are increasingly looking towards China and Russia as established routes become harder to access. Migration expert Saeed Salari told Haft-e Sobh that nationality plays a significant role in visa and employment applications, with Iranian applicants facing greater scrutiny in western countries. He said the falling value of Iran’s currency has also made migration unaffordable for many Iranians, pushing those still able to leave toward cheaper and geographically closer destinations. The daily added that Turkey and Armenia had also gained prominence among Iranians as regional alternatives for migration. Tehran seeks to expand ties with Yerevan Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan's visit to Tehran on Monday and his meetings with the Iranian president and foreign minister have fuelled speculation that Iran is seeking to expand overland trade through Armenia. Can Baghdad gain control over paramilitary groups amid US war on Iran? Read More » Iran has faced serious disruptions to imports and exports in recent months due to the US naval blockade, prompting Tehran to turn to road and rail links with neighbouring countries. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted a video on Instagram of his meeting with Mirzoyan and said the talks focused on “the expanding relations between Tehran and Yerevan and ways to deepen cooperation in the economic, trade, transport, energy and other areas of interest to the two countries”. Farsi media have also highlighted the geopolitical and economic importance of Iran’s land border with Armenia amid the US blockade. The news website Fararu wrote that “relations with Yerevan are not merely a bilateral matter, but part of a policy to preserve Iran’s access to the Caucasus and maintain the importance of its transport routes in the region”. The meeting also carries significance in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tehran and Yerevan have moved closer as Azerbaijan has expanded its military and intelligence cooperation with Israel in recent years, a development that has contributed to closer ties between the two countries. *Iranian press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified as accurate by MEE. Copyright © 2014 - 2026 . Middle East Eye. All rights reserved. Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters. Middle East Eye ISSN 2634-2456