Iranian business signals cautious optimism over nuclear talks
At a trade exhibition in Tehran, businessman Behnam Ronagh’s conversation flipped between the difficulty of operating under the world’s toughest sanctions regime and his hopes that relief could be around the corner.
Nearly four years after former US president Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, Ronagh is betting that indirect talks between Iran and the US to revive the 2015 accord can succeed and, in turn, revive the fortunes of the Islamic republic’s corporate sector, including the PVC film manufacturer he works for.
Standing in front of his company’s display of burn-proof plastic table cloths, the sales manager enthused about the possibilities of the company attracting a foreign partner and expanding exports if sanctions are lifted. Potential clients in Europe and the Middle East were already reaching out via email, he added.
“Their links are being re-established and they are giving us…