Becoming the first Iranian leader to visit the forum in a decade, Mr Rouhani’s forecast for his country’s future painted an optimistic picture. He said: “I see the status of Iran pursuing policies of moderation, prudence and hope in the future global economy. “Iran’s economy has the potential to be among the world’s top 10 in the next three decades.”

The Iranian President also claimed that Tehran was ready to cooperate with other countries to reach a solution on the nuclear deal.

He added that Iran was “fully prepared and ready to engage with all neighboring countries.’’

Rouhani’s statement came at a time of drastically improved relations between Iran and the West, and the following year in 2015, Tehran would agree to a nuclear deal.

Under the nuclear deal, Iran was only permitted to spin centrifuges without uranium gas as Washington looked to restrict Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.

When he became US President, Donald Trump accused the Islamic Republic of gradually increasing its uranium production in a move that disobeyed the agreement.

His anger culminated in the eventual abandoning of the deal in 2018, and has contributed to the recent escalations between the two countries in recent months.

The relationship between Tehran and Washington has rapidly deteriorated since President Trump’s decision, culminating in violent exchanges.

Early this month, the US killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani with a devastating drone strike at Baghdad Airport.

This provoked Iran to hit Washington’s bases in Iraq with airstrikes of their own, before Tehran’s forces shot down a Ukranian passenger plane, killing all 176 people on board in a tragic mistake.

The fluctuating relationship between Tehran and Washington is reflected by Iran’s own economic progress over the last decade.

Iran’s GDP would drop by 4.8 percent in 2018, but 2019 would see US-Iran relations crumble along with the Iranian economy.

DON’T MISS: 
US vs Iran: Trump’s true motive behind Soleimani killing exposed  [INSIGHT]
World War 3 threat: Iran poised for horror strike [ANALYSIS]
Conservative MP calls for a new deal to replace Iran nuclear agreement [INSIGHT]

Sanctions have tightened after September’s Saudi oil attack in which Iran struck two oil plants in Saudi Arabia halving the country’s output overnight.

In 2019, Iran’s GDP dropped by a stagggering 9.5 percent in 2019, and now protests in the country are growing with demonstrators demanding that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stand down.

As far as 2020 is concerned, the US strike on General Qassem Soleimani, followed by Iran’s downing of a Ukranian passenger plane, suggests that crisis in Iran is far from a resolution.

Source: Read Full Article