Central Bank Official: Iran's FX Reserves Grew $4.5 Billion During the War

Per Ecoiran and Eghtesad Online (July 8-9, 2026), a senior currency policy official at Iran's Central Bank said new foreign exchange management measures cut daily FX market demand from about $600 million to under $200 million, allowing the country's FX reserves to grow by $4.5 billion during the war rather than deplete. Priority FX access continues to go to essential goods, medicine and medical equipment, and the Central Bank reiterated it will not return to a multi tier "preferential" exchange rate. Separately, the Central Bank has held its open market repo acceptance rate below 20% for a second consecutive week.