Special to WorldTribune.com
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Iran’s two most powerful leaders have presented their contrasting outlooks on the country’s economy in speeches marking Norouz, the Persian New Year.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on March 20 for self-reliance, while President Hassan Rouhani said that cooperation with other countries was the key to economic growth.
Khamenei has said that foreign investment will only help if it is used to develop the country’s domestic industries.
In a separate message, broadcast immediately after Khamenei’s, Rouhani said that “with cooperation and effort inside the country, and constructive engagement with the world, our economy can bloom and develop.”
All international sanctions related to Iran’s disputed nuclear program were lifted in January under a historic deal reached between Tehran and major world powers in July 2015.