...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet
militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word
Iranis a cognate form of
Aryan,the abbreviation
IRGCis a cognate form of
Stürmabteilung (or SA),the term
Supreme Guideis a cognate form of either
Shahor
Führeror maybe both, and they hate
sanctions and regional unrest.
In its World Economic Outlook update, the global lender projects economic growth for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistain this year would be 1.0 percent, its worst since the IMF put them in one group in 2009.
The downgrade, the fifth in a year, is a half percentage point lower than its April projection.
The reduction is in large part due to a change in the IMF’s forecast for Iran’s growth "owing to the crippling effect of tighter US sanctions," the lender says.
"Civil strife across other economies, including Syria and Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
, add to the difficult outlook for the region."
The price of oil, the main driver for revenues in the region, will also impact growth, the IMF adds. In 2018, the region saw 1.6% growth, down from 2.1% in the previous year.
The IMF in April projected Iran’s economy will shrink by a steep 6.0% this year, its worst performance since it contracted by 7.7% in 2012.