Government's 4.4 Billion Dollar Debt to Basic Goods Importers Is Straining Iran's Supply Chain

The Iranian government's debt to importers of basic goods has reached about 4.4 billion dollars, Ecoiran reported on Sunday, 8 Shahrivar 1405 (August 30, 2026), down from an initial figure of more than 5 billion dollars after partial settlements. A significant share of the debt relates to imports of livestock feed, and importers now wait 17 to 18 months for foreign currency allocation, saddling them with annual financing costs of 12 to 14 percent.

According to the report, government officials say confirmed claims will be paid after an audit, but before the final figure is accepted as a definite government debt, officials must clarify how the goods were imported, distributed and supplied, and the legal basis of the government's obligation. Experts, including Mohsen Barzouzadeh, a former deputy at Iran's Court of Audit, have proposed tools such as factoring, profit sukuk issuance, currency swaps and oil backed transfers to settle the debt without expanding the monetary base.