Economy of Resistance: An Option for Confronting with New Possibly Sanctions in Oil Price Fluctuating Era

NaftEMA: Recent oil decreasing shock which has begun from June 2014, has been a potential threat to Iranian economics meanwhile nuclear talks After Implementing Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in last January, Sanctions Lifting Actions Taken Pursuant it , especially on oil, gas, and petrochemicals, US congress has passed several bills and resolutions against Iran namely the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and recently US Supreme Court ruling that $2 billion in frozen Iranian assets must be turned over and granted to U.S. victims of terror families’. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the Iranian year of 1395 (2016-2017), The Year of the Economy of Resistance: Action and Implementation, which shows his mindset is brilliant and cautious. The “Economy of Resistance” seeks to increase the value of non-oil exports and of the value-added chain of production inside the country, lower energy consumption, and boost economic self-reliance. Exporting downstream products (such as refined petroleum products) and petrochemical and mineral products plus tourism industry are alternatives for oil revenues. According to General policies on economy of resistance, following strategies are considered in Iran’s oil industry: 1. Reducing Iran’s dependency to oil export revenues, 2. Increasing added- value thorough complementing oil and gas value chain 3. Keeping and developing oil and gas output capacity specifically in common oil and gas fields 4. Energy consumption savings. Us ambiguous presidential elections result, accelerates the performing of “Robust Economy” and sets it as an urgent agenda. Economy of Resistance can be regarded as cautious and intelligent Option for Confronting with New Possibly Sanctions in Oil Decreasing Price Period. The doctrine of the “Economy of Resistance,” which seeks to create resistance toward possible future sanctions or international pressures on the Iranian economy, particularly on its oil and gas exports. The prospect of Iran’s economic dependency to oil revenues is not clear in short term. But the Resistance Economy doctrine is intended to make the Iranian economy resistant to all external economic shocks in the long term, including Western sanctions and global financial crises. Director of “Naphtha Center for Energy’s International & Strategic Studies (NCEISS) and PhD. Candidate of International Relations*