Iran 1979: Anatomy of a Revolution l Featured Documentary. Six charts that explain the Iran protests. The biggest anti-government protests in Iran for nearly a decade have been fuelled by anger at the cost of living and widespread corruption.
This is despite the fact that Iran has the second largest economy in the Middle East, ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth in proven crude oil. Here are six charts that help to explain why many ordinary Iranians are facing hardship. Iran's economy was badly affected for several years by sanctions imposed by the international community over the country's nuclear programme. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 1.4% in 2015 - the year President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, agreed with world powers to limit Iran's sensitive nuclear activities. In 2016, after the deal was implemented and most sanctions were lifted, the economy bounced back sharply and GDP grew 12.3%, according to the Central Bank of Iran. Islamic Revolution of 1979. The Last Great Revolution. History of Iran: Revolution of 1979.