Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared the upcoming Iranian New Year “Pickup in Production.” This means at the very least that future speeches and slogans will have a heightened focus on the state of the economy, which is currently struggling in part due to US sanctions that were reimposed after the Donald Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal signed between Iran and six world powers in 2015.

“We put behind us an adventurous year,” Khamenei said in a video message aired on Iranian state television March 21, adding that "the enemy had plans for Iran, [but] the strength and wisdom of the people and the efforts of the youth neutralized the plans of the enemy.” Khamenei said, “Against severe sanctions that in their own words were unprecedented, the Iranian nation both in the political field and the economic field showed a strong and powerful reaction.”

Khamenei continued, “The fundamental problem of the country is economic problems — especially in recent months, the livelihood problems of the people have increased.” He added, “Some of this is related to inadequate management of economic issues.” Two of the economic problems, according to Khamenei, are the issues of the decrease in the value of the national currency and the drop of purchasing power, and the slowing down of production and sometimes closing down of factories. According to economic experts who have been advising Khamenei, the solution is the “development of national production.”

Regarding last year’s slogan of “Supporting Iranian products,” Khamenei said, “I cannot say that this slogan was completely carried out, but it could be said that this slogan was paid attention to on a wide scale and on a number of issues; this slogan was welcomed by people and acted upon, and this certainly will have an influence.” He added that “production” can solve many of the economic problems in Iran, including employment and currency issues, and can also protect the country in the face of foreign enemies.