TEHRAN – Iran’s trade with Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates rose in the first nine months of the current Iranian year (March 21 –December 21, 2025) compared with the same period last year, a senior official at Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) said.

Abdolamir Rabihavi, director general for West Asia affairs at the TPO, said Iran’s exports to the UAE increased by about nine percent year on year, reaching $5.815 billion in the first nine months, up from $5.341 billion in the same period last year.

Imports from the UAE fell by more than 10 percent, declining from $15.403 billion last year to $13.532 billion in the current period, he said.

Rabihavi said Iran’s exports to Oman rose 27 percent to $1.517 billion, compared with $1.192 billion a year earlier. Exports to Qatar also increased, reaching $115 million, up from about $101 million, a rise of 14 percent.

He attributed a decline in exports to Iraq to reduced Iranian gas shipments in recent months, seasonal bans on some agricultural products, Iraq’s self-sufficiency in certain goods, and higher tariffs on items including steel and petrochemicals. He also cited tighter regulation and monitoring of trade cards and foreign currency repatriation commitments, noting that a significant share of Iran–Iraq trade had previously been conducted through small-scale exports.

Rabihavi said Iranian companies and brands had a strong presence at the Gulfood exhibition in the UAE and international trade events in Turkey, adding that preparations were under way to set up Iranian pavilions at trade fairs in Qatar and Iraq.

He also said trade ties with Lebanon were easing following a visit by Iran’s foreign minister, with both governments and private sectors expressing readiness to expand bilateral trade and to review a potential preferential trade agreement.

Referring to relations with Oman, Rabihavi said joint investments, participation in free zones and industrial parks, and efforts to attract Omani investors to Iran were continuing, alongside steady export and import flows.

EF/MA