In the Press

European Leadership Network | Shouldering the sanctions: A future for EU-Iran energy cooperation

5 October 2018

Eunepa Managing Partner, Dr. Bijan Khajehpour has co-authored a report with policy fellow Axel Hellman at the European Leadership Network on the future of energy cooperation between Iran and the EU. Download the report here.

ORF | US-Sanktionen wieder in Kraft

6 August 2018

ZIB 2: US-Sanktionen treten wieder in Kraft. Auch europäische Unternehmen sind davon betroffen. Eunepa Managing Partner Bijan Khajehpour erklärt, welche Konsequenzen folgen. 

Mees | Iran’s Banking Sector: Dark Days Loom (PDF)

1 June 2018

Iran’s banking crisis poses a bigger threat to the country’s economy than the re-imposition of sanctions post-US withdrawal from the nuclear deal – though, of course, the two are not unrelated. Can Tehran deliver substantial reforms amid infighting and vested interests?

“I believe the Iranian government and the CBI will continue their reform process regardless of the impact of the re-imposed US sanctions,” says Bijan Khajehpour.

The Guardian | Iranian rial hits all-time low as citizens scramble for US dollars

11 Apr 2018

Bijan Khajehpour, a Vienna-based Iranian economist, echoed Laylaz in saying that political and non-economic factors had contributed to the current situation. “Political [reasons] could be a fear of harsh sanctions or external pressure because of Trump’s attitude towards Iran,” he said. “There could also be reasons because of internal factional fighting and competition for power and pressure on Rouhani.”

Al-Monitor | What’s behind Iran’s massive capital flight?

10 Apr 2018

A prominent Iranian member of parliament’s recent statement about a significant outflow of capital from the country has raised eyebrows. Commenting on the foreign exchange fluctuations in March, parliamentary economic commission head Mohammadreza Pourebrahimi said some $30 billion of capital had fled Iran in the final months of the last Iranian year, which ended March 20. To assess such a phenomenon, it is necessary to grasp the parameters that lead to capital flight and their impact on the Iranian economy.

Bloomberg | Angry Iranians Are Forcing Their Leaders to Reboot Economy Plans

20 Feb 2018

In January, Khamenei instructed the Guards and other branches of the military to sell off assets “irrelevant’’ to their main function. Such changes could help improve the business environment for locals and whatever foreigners are willing to venture in, said Bijan Khajehpour, managing partner of Vienna-based consulting Atieh International. It “won’t happen fast,’’ he said. Power in Iran is dispersed across various offices and institutions, including the supreme leader, president and Guards, so any reform requires “prolonged bargaining processes.’’

Zenith | “They don’t want the regime to fail”

8 Jan 2018

Iran is currently experiencing the largest wave of upheaval since the Green Movement in 2009. We asked Iran analyst Dr. Bijan Khajehpour why people are taking their anger to the streets and how European policy makers should tackle the crisis.

zenith: Dr. Khajehpour, what is behind the current protests? Who are the protesters? Could you tell us more about their motives?

Al Jazeera | Iran: Economic reasons contributing to the unrest

7 Jan 2018

Al Jazeera looks at the challenges facing Iran post-sanctions and which economic factors are contributing to the current unrest. Dr Bijan Khajehpour […] says there are a number of economic phenomena in Iran contributing to public dissatisfaction. “High prices…unemployment is a key factor…Iran has a very educated young population and a lot of these educated citizens are unemployed…25-26 percent of that is youth unemployment…there is a direct correlation between the level of unemployment and the protests,” he says.

Schranger | Negotiating with Iranians? An Interview with Dr. Bijan Khajehpour

26 Oct 2017

Mr. Khajehpour, thank you for taking the time for this interview. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a country of rich cultural heritage. How do these cultural characteristics affect today’s business dealings in Iran?

One could write an entire book in response to this question. The Iranian culture has a very deep impact on the Iranian behavior including the nation’s business practices. The pride in representing a millennia old civilization means that Iranian businesspersons are proud and demand respect. Lack of respect for the Iranian values would be a non-starter in negotiating with Iranians…

LinkedIn | Negotiating with Iranians? Build rapport right from the onset

26 Oct 2017

The cultural element in the context of negotiations is undoubtedly of utmost importance. In fact, in certain countries, it is the very aspect that can make or break the outcome of a negotiation process. Naturally, the Islamic Republic of Iran, which its rich history and heritage, is a perfect example of this notion.

In light of the lifted sanctions on Iran, which have paved the way for an inflow of $11.8 billion in FDI by YE2017, we asked our faculty member and expert on Iranian negotiations, Bijan Khajehpour, to share his thoughts on how to successfully deal with Iranian partners.

World Politics Review | Free from Sanctions, Iran Moves to Modernize Its Commercial Aviation Fleet

5 Jun 2017

Last month, at a ceremony in Toulouse, France, the French firm ATR officially gave four passenger planes to Iran, and the planes were flown to Tehran the following day. The ATR 72-600s are the first of a 20-plane deal made with the firm following the 2015 nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions, according to the Associated Press, and their purchase is part of a larger effort by Iran to update its commercial fleet. In an email interview, Bijan Khajehpour, […] describes the current needs of Iran’s aviation sector as well as the obstacles that remain to meeting them.