Raisi Government’s Oil Revenue Revealed

Raisi’s Government Oil Revenue Revealed

The oil revenue of Raisi’s government has been revealed. According to Iran Gate, based on the statements of Davood Manzoor, the head of the Program and Budget Organization of Raisi’s government, Iran sells each barrel of oil with a 30% discount. However, Manzoor’s remarks showed that despite claims, the thirteenth government has sold and earned revenue from about one-third of the claimed oil figures. But the question is, where is the money from the sale of the remaining two-thirds of the oil exports?

Ebrahim Raisi has repeatedly emphasized the unprecedented increase in the country’s oil revenues. Javad Owji, the oil minister of the thirteenth government, has also consistently confirmed Raisi’s claims and insisted on a significant increase in Iran’s oil exports. The question has always been, if Raisi’s government’s claims are accurate and genuine, why is there no trace of this money in the country’s economy or in the lives of ordinary people?

Now, the statements made by Davood Manzoor, the head of the Program and Budget Organization and also the deputy president, have clarified everything for the media and analysts. This report translates Manzoor’s recent statements and attempts to calculate the actual oil revenue of the thirteenth government.

What does Manzoor mean?

The head of the Program and Budget Organization recently announced that by the end of August 2023, only 50% of the oil revenues estimated in the budget had been realized. From this single claim, one can reach strange and worrying figures that indicate the inaccuracy of Raisi and his oil minister’s claims.

According to the 2023 budget, the thirteenth government was obligated to export over $13 billion worth of oil and bring the proceeds into the country by the end of the fifth month of the current year. However, according to Davood Manzoor, only 50% of this amount has been realized, and Raisi’s government’s oil revenue has been about $6.5 billion.

Raisi’s Government Oil Revenue Exposed

If the $6.5 billion oil revenue of the government in the first five months of the year is considered alongside some other data, one can discern the exact revenue of the government from oil exports. However, the head of the Program and Budget Organization stated that the base price for each barrel of oil is $60. In other words, it can be said that the government’s $6.5 billion revenue from oil exports pertains to the sale of one million barrels per day, meaning Ebrahim Raisi’s government exported over one million barrels of oil daily in the first five months of the current year.

At Least 30% Discount by Iran to Oil Customers

But the important point here is that if Davood Manzoor’s $60 price is considered in the calculations and if the oil export volume is also one million barrels, Iran has given a very heavy discount to its oil customers.

In other words, Iran Gate’s calculations show that Ebrahim Raisi’s government has given about a 35 to 40% discount to customers for each barrel of oil sold. This discount is about twice the discount the Russians give to their oil customers and is considered a major betrayal of Iran’s national interests.

Where is the Money for 800,000 Barrels of Oil?

But the story doesn’t end here because these figures do not match Raisi and the oil minister’s claims. If we assume Manzoor’s statements are accurate, Raisi’s claim of selling 1.8 million barrels of oil per day is incorrect.

Because there is an 800,000-barrel discrepancy between the statistics of the Ministry of Oil and the Program and Budget Organization. Now, the question arises: if both officials’ statements are correct, where is the money from the daily export of 800,000 barrels of oil? Does Ebrahim Raisi’s government have an explanation for this significant discrepancy between the deputy president and the oil minister?

National Interests Sacrificed for Export Volume

The only conclusion that can be drawn from such statements is that the government is unable to access the financial resources from exporting about 800,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, it has given at least a 30% discount to buyers, and it is still unclear how half of the money from sold oil has been received.

Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani had also repeatedly said that if the goal is to sell oil in a way that satisfies brokers, anyone can sell millions of barrels of oil. But the issue is that resorting to such methods essentially sacrifices national interests in favor of figures that only serve factional one-upmanship.

In simpler terms, Ebrahim Raisi has decided to sell oil to China with at least a 30% discount and not receive half of the foreign exchange earnings from this discounted sale, just to boast on paper about the increase in oil sales during the thirteenth government and to claim that his government has not tied the economy to the nuclear deal. However, he is unaware that this approach is precisely the epitome of boasting with an empty pocket and will not only bring no benefit to the people but is also a major betrayal to future generations and the youth.