Less than a fortnight after a decade of crippling economic sanctions on Iran ended, President Hassan Rouhani is being treated to red carpets, dinners with top CEOs and billion-dollar deals in Europe. In Italy, accords worth $22 billion covered industries from natural gas to high-speed rail, while in France Rouhani is expected to purchase Airbus Group SE jetliners and seal manufacturing partnerships with PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault SA. The speed with which the president traveled to Europe once July’s nuclear deal finally came into force underscored the depth of Iran’s economic problems. Here’s a look at the state of Iran’s economy, and the $102 billion budget Rouhani proposed to parliament before leaving Tehran, urging the nation to “seize the opportunity for an economic leap” forward. Why Iran’s Economy Matters The $400 billion economy is the second-largest in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia, Iran’s biggest regional rival. With […]