The economy, which is 15 to 20 percent smaller than it would have been without sanctions enacted after 2010, rebounded to post 3 percent growth in 2014 after two years of contraction. The central bank is aiming to reduce inflation to single digits by 2017 and bolster the expansion once sanctions are lifted.

Renaissance Capital, a London-based investment bank, described Iran as the most important economy closed to institutional investors, and predicted interest will climb dramatically over the next year, according to a July 13 report.

Humes can attest to that. During his trip to Iran, which he made with his 20-year-old son, Humes said he was impressed by everything from the country’s cultural activities––things like the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan and the tombs of the Achaemenid kings at Naqsh-e Rostam––to the number of bazaar shops that accepted credit cards.

This re-insertion into the global economy, Humes said, “seems to be something they want to do for real.”

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